You'd need to provide more details about what happened.

I was working on my email after a vacation and was trying to rush through some of it. I'm sure in my haste I hit the wrong key(s) and the file folders suddenly disappeared. I have tried to find them but have not been successful. I'm just plain electronically challenged!

Are they just collapsed perhaps. Try double clicking the "parent" folders.

Sorry, but where do I find my "parent" folders?

This example image has the lines displayed to make connections clear. The Parent of the test3 folder is trash, it's parent is Local folders.

All folders have to hang off a parent. Except the top level account folders that is. (They have a parent, but it is hidden)

Thanks for the info, however part of my problem is that there is nothing showing in the left hand column as you've shown above. Everything to do with my inbox is at the top. I've tried finding a solution through the File option at the top of the screen, but no luck.