PENNIES FROM HEAVEN

It’s something we’ve no doubt all encountered. Pennies. There they are—pennies, just lying there on the ground. Where do they come from? Some might say they are from Heaven, simple messages and reminders from our loved ones who have gone ahead of us. Syndicated advice columnist “Dear Abby” has for many years included stories from her readers about their experiences with these pennies.

It may seem hooky, even superstitious, but I, too, pick up stray pennies as I walk down the street, or wherever our paths may cross. I always look at the year, just to see if there is someone who may have died that year, or some other major even that may have happened that year. It often brings a smile to my face, regardless of the year.

Here’s my confession: Certainly, no one can confirm nor deny whether, indeed, these pennies are just randomly dropped by their careless owners, or whether they are messages from the great beyond. It seems more and more over the last week, I’ve come across at least one stray penny each day. Sometimes, the years may not really correspond with any major events I can recall, but sometimes, coincidence or not, the years do match with the death of a grandparent or some year in which something important happened in my life. That’s enough for me to believe. And hey, even if they aren’t “Pennies from Heaven”, as Benjamin Franklin said, “a penny saved is a penny earned.” Either way, it’s a winning situation.