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!

I Miss You Grandpa

June 25th 2015 I had heard that our receptionist at the office had lost her grandpa.  It is so sad to hear of any loss in our lives and for those of us who have gone through it know exactly what it's like, and that is why I always want to make a difference and hope that what I do will help them heal.

She was very close to her grandpa loved going with him to car shows in one of his classic cars that he owned.  

I made her a memory candle that is battery operated with a 5-hour timer and I placed one one my pennies inside.

When I gave it to her she had not heard about the pennies from heaven so I shared a few of my stories to her.  I also told her to pick a special time at night that she would like her candle to come on and that would be her special memory of her grandpa.

Later that night she posted this picture and message on Face Book:

I want to thank you again for the candle, it seriously made my day.  I am so blessed to have you as a friend.  The candle will be glowing by my bedside nightly.  You are truly amazing.

On July 23, 2015 our receptionist came into work and called me to come downstairs that she had something to share with me.  She said that on her way to work she stopped to put gas in her car and when she got back in she found this sitting on the dash, and she swears that it was not there when she got out of the car.

  But the most amazing part of this story is that it was her grandpa's birthday!!

 HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDPA.

When my friend finished reading my blog se sent me a message:

I just read your blog.  It's perfect.  Made me cry, not in a sad way though, just brought back memories.  My daughter came in and asked me why I was sad, I told her mom isn't sad just thinking of some great memories.  I had told her the penny story, she sat there for a minute and then said;

Mom, pennies are cool but maybe we should ask them to start leaving 20$ for us.  I am laughing so hard, to cute.

My friend has been having a really bad time lately, it has been several months since here grandpa has passed away.  The other day her dad came over to her house a delivered her grandpa's boat!!!  She could not believe it. 

She feels so blessed and to have this, and I know she will treasure it forever.

They are going to go camping this weekend - August 29th and take the boat, as she was cleaning she lifted up the seat in grandpas boat, and look what she found, she was so emotional.

Below is another penny she found on the carpet of the boat.  She had just got off the phone with her uncle and he reminded her that her grandpa used to call her his LUCKY PENNY.  She is all sorts of emotional right now.  HAPPY BOATING.....

Penny Stats Update

August 16, 2016

OMG, I am so excited today when checking out my HEAVENLY PENNY stories on my blog.  

You can do a stat report of your viewers and this is what I had this morning:

I am so amazed that there are (5) page views from Ireland, did I say (5) from Ireland?  How people are finding this information is beyond my wildest dreams!

This is a part of me that I am putting out to the internet that is so healing and knowing that it may be helping others and encourages me to continue with many many more beautiful stories that friends and families have shared with me and to see who across this beautiful world is reading this.

Penny in a toolbox?

This is an amazing story that I couldn't wait to share.

Went out to dinner with some special friends on July 23, 2015.  One of our friends had lost his sister to cancer several weeks prior.  I had found a ceramic vase in the design of coveralls.  I glued one of my special pennies on the front, filled it with flowers and put in a special decorated bag.  He just loved it, even the waitress thought it was nice and asked what is was for.  I said that our friend here had a sister who past away a few weeks ago and we are sharing her memory tonight.

Later I told him and his wife about my penny stories through the years and I told him that if he ever found a penny after tonight to take a picture along with a message and send it to me.  He said that it would probably be one of his grand kids that would be the first the pennies, but promised that no matter who he would pass the information along.

We ended the night with good memories.

The next afternoon I got this email with the following message from our friend:

Kathy,

I know this is amazing, I went searching in my toolbox today (7-24-2015) and under things was this shinny penny.  I didn't remember it being there.

I was so surprised!!!  I wished we had a photo of him finding it there.

Below is the card we just got in the mail 8-10-2015