People are like Pennies

When I find pennies I think of my loved ones that have passed away, that it is a sign that they are always with us.

For the last 1 1/2 years I have been riding our Mass Transit system to and from my job.  It is 40 minutes each way.  I have met so many people waiting for the train, getting on the train, getting off the train to another destination.  

I have made so many friends, talked to so may people and a lot of the people I don't even know their names that come up to me and just talk and share a story, which fills me with so much joy inside that I can't begin to explain.

One story I want to share is about a train host named Ned (Nazario) who has given me permission to share his story.  He is a Train Host who works a few days a week on my morning ride to work.  He always walks by and says good morning to me and gives me a friendly wave when I get off.

One morning I asked how he was doing because he had seemed a little quiet and he said that he had taken the previous day off to celebrate his 58th wedding anniversary, and his eyes just sparkled as he was telling me about his wife and that she had passed away 6 months ago and he, his children and grandchildren celebrated together.  

HOW AWESOME IS THAT??

I told him he looked like he had just married her yesterday by the look on his face.

Inez - 15 years old

Inez fell in love at first sight and Ned saw beauty at its fullest, they grew in love and he proposed to her on one bent knee with the blessing of her parents when she was 19. They remained committed to each other for 52 years of marriage and 55 years in all.  Ned cared for her preciously, ardently and unrelenting with peace and joy given to him by GOD.

The next day Ned brought in a letter that his daughter had written after the passing of their mom and gave it to me to read.  His daughter mentioned that Inez loved anything to do with God and family, especially reading her Bible and having worship time with her husband Ned. 

She loved and adored each of her children and would talk to them about their day-to-day life, desires, dreams, hopes, and struggles; inspiring them; and most importantly discussing their walk with the lord.  

I can see why Ned's eyes so sparkled when he talked about the love of his life Inez who was a wonderful wife, mother and grandmother.

I had tears in my eyes after Ned told me his story and I said to him that his wife is always around and he said; as he touched his heart; SO IS GOD.

I told him that there must have been a reason that I wore my Angel Wing Necklace today because I felt like a special angel for him to share that beautiful story of the love of his life with me and that was like finding a million shiny pennies!

Thanks Ned for sharing..

Pennies in a Jar

Christmas of 2015 my step-daughter (who in my eyes is a daughter to me) and also a very good friend.  She gave me this beautiful jar with the message: PENNIES FROM HEAVEN!!

All of the pennies that I have found through the years I have kept in the envelopes that people have sent to me with their messages and now I have the perfect place to save them.

Here is the picture of the jar with my pennies, a feather that I  found, angel wings from a friend, bracelet with penny charms from a co-worker and a key chain from my step-daughter with a very special penny that she had found from the year 2007,  which was the year that my mother had past.  VERY VERY THOUGHTFUL GIFT!!!

Every penny in this jar has a story, I would like to share a few of them.

This was one that happened to me 3-26-2012 - I was having a bad day and almost in tears, went into the store and when I got back to my car there were (3) pennies on the ground.

Hi Kathy,  I think your mom was sending me lots of wishes for you this weekend, love Chris.

Found this while hiking on my mountain by the hand gliding park, thought of you.  Carin

Heather a co-worker found a penny in the parking lot of our office on 2-19-2010 and gave it to me.

I found this penny July 2015 while I was walking with my neighbor and telling her that I wanted to start a Penny blog.

All weekend I thought about my mom and dad and how lonely things are without them.  Today was a beautiful day and I started to take a walk along a creek.  When I got back to the office I got out of my car from my walk and right there was a shinny penny, HEAD'S UP.

My dad was in an assisted living place and when we moved him to another facility on 6-23-2010 I found a penny on his shelf.

A co-worker on 7-27-2010 found a penny in the corner of a prescription bag that she had gotten after we had been talking that morning about PENNIES FROM HEAVEN with another co-worker.

On 6-18-2010 a co-worker of mine his wife found a penny at a company leadership conference that we had at San Antonio, TX right after I had told her about my PENNIES FROM HEAVEN stories.

Kathy, this is getting really weird!  The other day after I left the office, I stopped at CJ Banks to try on some new clothes.  I had been in the dressing room several times and I didn't see any penny.  The the last time, there it was, just sitting on the bench.  Your mom must like me or knows that I will be sure to give it to you.

Chris.

Chris was on her way to Italy and for a penny at the airport and mailed it to me.

Hi Kath,  my sweet Gary found these for you at our campsite at Otter Creek over the 4th of July.  With love Chris.

Kathy,  found this one just outside the car in Fairview.  TAILS UP.  Chris

THE ARE MANY MANY MORE THAT I WILL SHARE IN OTHER STORIES, THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING!!

Reader's Digest 2007

It has been several months since I have entered any information into my Blog but life has been so crazy and busy and here it is January 24th 2016! 

 Where is the time going?

A good friend of mine sent me this article after the holiday's that was published in READER'S DIGEST 2007. It is a beautiful story by Julie Bain on:

 PENNIES FROM HEAVEN.  

What? A Dollar Bill

This story is about my step-dad who met my mom and I when I was 4 months old and adopted me when I was seven years old.  The following story was from one of the journals that I had written through the years.

Four years after my mom had passed we had to put my dad into an Assisted Living facility because he could no longer live at his home.  My sister and I found a place and were so excited to get it all setup for him, with his TV, bed, recliner, family photos so that it would feel a little bit like home.

The facility was not very far from my work so I was able to go and see him on my lunch or sometimes after work.  He seemed very happy and was adjusting well.  After nine months living at the facility my dad started falling a lot and needed to be in a wheelchair and have more care than the facility could handle, so my sister and I checked out the VA Nursing home (since our dad was a Veteran) and put him on a waiting list. 

About a month later we got a call from the VA saying that they had a room for my dad, we were relived because he would have 24/7 care.

My dad was not happy at all going there and was very depressed (we didn't know what else to do) none of this was easy and the stuff we had at the Assist Living facility that made him feel at home we could not bring, all he had at the VA was a closet and a bed.  Our hearts ached the first night when we had to say goodnight and walk away.

I worried so much about him and wanted to make sure he was in good hands, I could not call him on the phone like I did at the other facility, so every morning I would leave my home early for work and be at the VA at 7:00 am to visit with dad about 30 minutes.

The staff did amazing work with all of the patients by having them dressed, cleaned up and in their wheels chairs ready for breakfast.  Dad would be outside of his room (which I know he looked forward to seeing me) and I would come and take him to the cafeteria and get him a cup of hot chocolate and myself a cup of coffee. 

 I did this 5 days a week and 1 day on the weekend for 1 1/2 years.  That morning cup of coffee with my dad ended up not just with him but with the rest of the VA patients that were there in the morning that made my day.

They would all wave at me, smile and salute and I would make sure they had a cup of chocolate or coffee or even a little conversation.  I felt that I was making a difference each day with all of them and also with the Staff who took very good care of my dad.

I would always share my penny stories with dad and tell him that they were mom's pennies from heaven.

July 25th 2011 I had been very restless because the last couple of days dad had not been doing very well, the VA called that morning to say that dad had another unresponsive episode.  So I went up the the VA to see him and my dear friend who works for Hospice was their checking up on him.  He was on oxygen and seemed a little better and I wanted to make him laugh so I told him; You know dad,  mom is always sending pennies from heaven to us and when it is your turn if you will up the ante and send maybe dollar bills?  He and my friend just rolled their eyes, laughed and she said; Chris; what are we going to do with that Kathy.

August 6, 2011
I was giving a baby shower that afternoon for my step-daughter.  I was so stressed that I would be getting a call from the VA about my dad and not be able to have this special shower for her.

My daughter-in-law came by about 8:30 that morning to bring cookies that she made for the shower and said she would be there later.  She gave me a hug and said; Oh I found this in the driveway and handed me a dollar bill!

Now if I found a dollar bill I would have kept it and bought me a cup of coffee or something, LOL.  She did not know the story that I had told my dad at the hospital telling him to send dollars instead of the pennies that mom had been sending.  

My theory on this was that that dollar was from my mom, because she wasn't going to let my dad be the one to up the ante and make her look bad.   LOL

I know it sounds crazy but know one else knew about that conversation in the hospital except for my friend from Hospice and to this day we still talk about that DOLLAR BILL.

Thanks for the Memories!

I know from my own experience that losing both of your parents (or losing anyone) is a very painful thing to go through.

Like having to go through their clothes, papers, all of their personal belongings and then to sell, give away or take to charity the things that meant so much to them.  

And then to prepare to sell their home and walk away from the memories that you so cherished through the years.

This story is about my friend who works for Hospice at the VA Nursing Home in our area. She had been assigned to help us out with my dad who was a patient there for about 15 months.  

She would always check up on him and other patients and did and still does an amazing job!  It takes very special people to do this.

With losing her dad a few years ago and then her mom in January of 2015 she has been going through that same process after 61 years of being raised in this beautiful home filled with many wonderful memories.

During the last several months there of course have been many penny stories that she shared with me.

She found these books and frame in her dad's garage, and put them in her office for about two months and on August 20, 2015 she moved the picture frame and book and found this:

Since her dad has passed she is always finding pennies and nickels!

It just keeps getting better and better.  

My friend gave her granddaughter the bed that she slept in when she was a little girl.  As they were taking the mattress off these 3 pennies were found between the mattress and box spring!!!

Then her husband goes to move her mom and dad's dresser to get ready to load up on the truck and he finds this penny!

You just can't make this stuff up! 

You just believe that these are messages from our loved ones who have passed and are watching over us.

I know that my friend is so blessed for the wonderful memories that she will never ever forget.  

THANKS MOM AND DAD FOR THE MEMORIES.

Angel Penny

Not sure of the date that I received this penny message, it was from my cousin's wife who we are so blessed to have her in our family.

She sent this information to me in the mail along with a penny.

Walking with my friend

July 8th, 2015,

I have to say that I have an amazing circle of friends  in my life, each and everyone of them are so special and unique in their own ways.  Priceless.

On July 8, 2015,  a very dear friend and co-worker of mine went for our morning walk (2 1/2 miles) which we have been doing since February before we start our day at the office along this beautiful trail.

As we were on our way back to the office my friend shared a story with me saying;

That each night before she goes to bed  she thinks about all of the trouble that she had put her mom and dad through when she was a young teenager, both parents have since passed.

I thought how sad that she would think of this each night because she is one of the most caring, giving and most awesome person I know!

Just then my friend stopped and said; look, and there was a penny right in front of her (she also is a penny believer and has collected many since her parents have passed)

I raised my hands in the air and was a bit surprised yet so excited for her because I felt that her mom and dad were sending her a message telling her; It's all okay and we love you!

As I was shaking my head I looked in the opposite direction and long behold if I don't see a penny about 5 feet from where I was standing!!!  

We both had picked up our pennies and started to cry.

What a beautiful morning it turned out to be and I will never ever forget as I continued waking with my friend!