The Power of a Penny

I found this penny in the dirt in a median between parking lots. I couldn’t tell whether it was heads up or down because it was so dirty. I came home and scrubbed it. To me it doesn’t matter if the pennies I find are heads up or down. My mother pointed out to me that on every penny it says, “In God We Trust.” So every time I pick up a penny, I am reminded that God handles all the big stuff. 

Once when I was teaching, one of my young pupils handed a penny to me. I told her to keep it, but she refused. She said it was a bad luck penny. She found it heads down. I was surprised that a four-year old held such a strong belief in the power of a penny. It is worth one cent no matter which way it lands on the ground. 

In the old days, when I was a kid, finding a penny was a treasure because I could go to the store and buy a piece of penny candy. In essence, every found penny in those days was good luck because I could buy something with it. I can still do that today, but it might take a bit more time to save up enough pennies.

The important thing to remember is that a penny doesn’t guarantee good luck or bad luck. That is far beyond the power of a penny. However, giving a bit of thanks is certainly in order. 🙏