Today, March 6, would have been my late father’s 107th birthday. Those of you who personally knew Dad often tell me that you still think of him sitting at the piano, playing his repertoire of popular tunes, which included: Stardust, As Time Goes By, Over the Rainbow, Till There Was You, Phi Delt Bungalow,* and Back Home Again in Indiana. Oh, how Dad, even into his late 90s, loved to play the piano! And oh, how we all loved to hear him play!

I read recently that if you say out loud the name of a loved one who has passed on, he or she is brought especially close to you again. Today, I’m calling out my dad’s name and wishing him a very Happy Birthday. I know he is with me. I can almost hear the faint strains of his favorite songs, as he sits tickling the ivories on the keyboard of a heavenly piano.

Play on, Dad. We’re listening.

Love, Mary

*Phi Delt Bungalow

You may live in a marble palace, dear,
On a throne that was built just for you.
You may live in a tent in the Far Orient,
Or a vine-covered cottage for two.
You may spend all your life as a gypsy’s wife,
Or live in a French chateau,
But the love that is true,
It is waiting for you
In a Phi Delt bungalow.

Recent news accounts tell us that the U.S. penny could soon be pinched from circulation. With the new emphasis on cutting government expenses, the penny is just too pricey to produce, they say, costing a whopping 3.7 cents to make one one-cent coin.

I, for one, believe that we cannot afford to lose the penny. Reportedly, the most popular of all of our coins, these prized little coppers come in handy for making change and supporting charity drives. The penny also has a rich history, a long history, that goes way back to the beginning of our country. Coming across a penny in one’s path is considered good luck, a welcome and much-needed sign of hope and happiness.

Back in May of 2008, I wrote an essay (see below) about the many virtues of the penny. The points made in it still hold true today.

The little penny is valuable now. It might become more so, with a pause in production.

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MAY 5, 2008
PENNY WISDOM

In Poor Richard’s Almanack, early American statesman and writer Benjamin Franklin admonished us not to be “penny-wise and pound-foolish.” By this, he meant we shouldn’t be so focused on the little details of life that we lose sight of the big picture. I beg to differ with Franklin, for I believe it’s in the little details of life that we often find our greatest sources of delight and happiness.

As we make our way each day, we often are so preoccupied with the tasks at hand that we fail to spot tiny signs of life’s blessings appearing all around us–an unexpected, pleasant turn of events, a kindness shown, a smile shared, a memory recalled, a flower blooming, stars twinkling. Even an ordinary penny can remind us there is much to be appreciated in the simple things.

The penny, the American one-cent piece, is worth a mere 1/100th of one dollar, causing many to say it is practically worthless and should no longer be made. Yet half of all the coins minted by the U.S. Treasury each year are pennies.

Most of us don’t give much thought to the penny, which, after all, weighs only 2 ½ grams and is just 21 millimeters in diameter; however, we should take notice of it, for there is a great deal more to this little coin than meets the eye.

The penny, so-named after the British coin, the “pence,” was the first coin ever authorized by the U. S. Congress and produced by the U.S. Federal government, beginning in 1787. Originally, the penny was much heavier and larger than our current version.

It is said that Paul Revere, patriot of the American Revolution and famous silversmith, provided some of the copper for the penny’s original mintings. Benjamin Franklin designed the first one-cent piece, which was called a “Fugio” or “Franklin” cent. On the front (obverse) side, the design depicted a sundial with the hours indicated, the sun with its rays, the words “Fugio” (“I fly”) and “Mind your business,” and the year 1787. On the reverse side appeared 13 linked circles representing the 13 original colonies, with a small circle in the middle and the words “United States” around it, and, in the very center of the coin, the motto “We are One.”

From 1856 to 1858, the penny bore the image of a flying eagle; from 1859-1909 that of an Indian princess. The sculptor of the so-called “Indian Head” penny allegedly used a real-life Indian princess and an actual headdress as models for the design.

The penny was the first U. S. coin ever to bear the image of an historic figure–that of Abraham Lincoln–also the first U.S. coin on which appeared the words “In God We Trust.” The original “Lincoln” penny was minted in 1909, exactly 100 years after the 16th President’s birth in 1809.

In 1959, on the 150th anniversary of Lincoln’s birth, the penny design was again changed. On the reverse side, where a picture of two sheaves of wheat (the “Wheat Heads” or “Wheat Ears” penny) had previously been inscribed, now appeared the image of the Lincoln memorial.

In 2009, to commemorate the bicentennial of Lincoln’s birth, four different designs of pennies will be minted, each bearing a separate image of Honest Abe’s life, from his log cabin beginnings to his terms in the White House. Also in 2009, a special collector’s version of the 1909 penny will be released.

Although originally called “coppers” for their predominant copper content, no pennies made primarily of copper have been minted since 1837. Before 1982, pennies were 95% copper and 5% zinc. Today’s pennies are composed of 97.6% zinc and only 2.4% copper. For one year, 1943, during World War II, because of a great need for copper for military use, pennies were made of zinc with a coating of steel. In error, along with the 1.2 billion steel pennies produced, about 24 copper coins were also minted. The latter are extremely rare and valuable and eagerly sought by coin collectors.

The majority of coin donations to charitable organizations reportedly are received in the form of pennies. In bad economic times, pennies appear much more in circulation; those in piggy banks are also scrupulously saved, counted, rolled, and deposited in bank accounts. As Franklin observed, “A penny saved is a penny earned.”

“In for a penny, in for a pound”

I recently had an amazing experience with pennies that encouraged me to be “in for a penny, in for a pound” –religiously watching for these little coins.

I found a penny outside my local drugstore, and soon I had two. While approaching the drive-through pharmacy one day in my car, I was talking with my father, who was riding with me, about watching for and retrieving pennies on our paths in life. I’d been told by several people that finding a penny was good luck. “I like the idea,” I told Dad, “but I never see any pennies lying around. Do you?” My father replied he rarely came across them by chance either. In the very next second, however, as my car reached the drive-though window, a penny appeared–right under our noses.

The pharmacy clerk greeted me, retrieved my prescription, and told me what I owed. When he opened the window tray and pushed it towards me, there on its surface gleamed a shiny new penny! “Oh, your last customer must have left a penny,” I said. The clerk just smiled. I laid my payment in paper money in the tray, and, when my change, $14.02, was returned to me, I was thrilled to see it included that original penny plus one more.

“I have always believed that finding pennies is a sign from God that I am on the right path,” wrote Bernie Segel, M.D., famous oncologist and author. Coming across those two pennies at the pharmacy window served as a reminder to me of the goodness that life continually offers us. Also, through the words “In God We Trust” clearly printed on these little coins, I believe the pennies represented a sign from God encouraging me always to rely on Him.

As in the case of pennies in our paths, we are treated to encouraging signs of God’s presence in the world on a daily basis. These rarely occur as monumental happenings but most often in ordinary things. Even in a simple little penny.

May we be ever on the lookout for the reassuring little pennies of life!

Dedicated with love to my cousin, JKL, who is always watching for pennies and invariably finding them.

“Only with winter-patience can we bring
The deep desired, long-awaited spring.”

–Anne Morrow Lindbergh, The Unicorn and other Poems (1956)

It’s February, the waiting time of the year–the beginning of the transition from winter to spring. We may be longing for the first indications of Nature’s awakening beauty — pink crocuses, purple hyacinths and yellow daffodils — but instead, today, as we step out the door, we’re greeted by piercing blasts of bitter cold, frosty air and sub-freezing temperatures. Except for the green of the firs and the spruces, we find little sign of life anywhere. Graceful beeches hold on to a few withered leaves from last season, but most of the other trees are stark and bare—lonely black silhouettes against a gray winter sky.

There’s a stillness all around. No squirrels or chipmunks dashing about, as they are safely ensconced in their cozy nests hidden in trunks of trees. Backyard birdhouses stand empty and forlorn with no sign of the birds nor sound of their cheerful songs. No evidence of raccoons having raided our trash cans. They, too, have left the scene for snug, warm havens.

All of nature appears to be fast asleep, but legend tells us one slumbering animal will awaken from hibernation today, February 2, to observe the state of the weather. Based on this animal’s action and its implied prognostication, a prediction of the advent of spring is made. Every year, many individuals hope this will be the news they’ve been eagerly waiting for–that they can leave the tired, old winter behind and move on into spring. This furry little weather predictor is none other than the groundhog. February 2 is, of course, Groundhog Day, the annual holiday honoring him.

In ancient times, it was believed that, on February 2 (Candlemas Day), if the weather was sunny and bright, a cold harsh winter would continue for another six weeks. However, if it were cloudy and rainy, an early spring was on the way. Medieval folk thought that various hibernating animals, such as the badger, bear and hedgehog, would come out from their warm underground burrows at this time of year to assess the state of the weather and make predictions.

In Germany, a legend developed that if the hedgehog saw the sun, it became frightened by its own shadow and would crawl back to its hole to sleep for another six weeks. This indicated more bad weather to come and, as a result, poorer crops that year. If the skies were overcast, there would be no shadow to scare the animal, so it would remain above ground. This was interpreted as meaning cold weather was soon to end and warmer days to appear.

The legend of the hedgehog was brought to America by the German immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania (Pennsylvania Dutch). Many of these early settlers became farmers who planted their crops according to this superstition. Since there were no hedgehogs in America, the farmers transferred the idea to the American groundhog, an animal similar to the German hedgehog. The groundhog is approximately 15-18 inches long, with bushy tail, short legs, and coarse fur, black and gray above and chestnut-red below.

Through the years, Groundhog Day has become a part of Americana. Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, 90 miles northeast of Pittsburgh, is home to the groundhog tradition and recognized as the “Groundhog Capitol of the World.” Since 1887, Punxsutawney has held annual observances of Groundhog Day. At sunrise, thousands of onlookers from all over the world gather at Gobbler’s Knob to watch “Punxsutawney Phil,” the nation’s official groundhog, emerge from his warm winter den. Phil gives his prediction for the length of the remaining part of winter supposedly in “Groundhogese” to his keeper, who then relays the forecast to the waiting crowd. In most cases, Phil does see his shadow and returns to his den to wait six more weeks for spring.

Truth be told, regardless of Punx’y Phil’s message of an early or late spring, or our own longing for a quick end to the winter, spring invariably and predictably arrives six weeks from now–around March 21. Nature moves inexorably, according to its own timetable.

Our lives also follow a timetable. As the Book of Ecclesiastes tells us, “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to uproot what is planted.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1)

We may grow tired of the situations in which we find ourselves and wish we could move ahead to the next new period without delay. However, it’s good to keep in mind that we can’t rush the seasons of our lives anymore than we can rush the appearance of the flowers on the earth.

May we know the peace of mind that comes from remembering that when the time is right, the next season begins. Be patient and wait. Everything in its time.

Here’s to Life!
Mary