The Coin That Kept Showing Up
When I was a ten-year-old little boy, my grandma gave me a penny on my birthday as a special gift. She told me if I always kept it safe, it would teach me many lessons throughout my life. At that time, I just started collecting and saving coins in my piggy bank, so I believed that this penny was worth lots of money. Then, I promised my grandma I would “never ever” lose my special penny. For the next year, I guarded the penny with my life. Though after a while, school and friends took up a large portion of my life, pushing away all thoughts of my penny.
On my 20th birthday, I celebrated with my family at my childhood home when my mom pulled out my special penny. Everyone else was in the kitchen eating and catching up, but I went up to my room for some peace and quiet. By that time, I was in college, working, and making money. As I held the penny in my hand, I thought of when I believed this penny was worth a ton of money. I was ten years older than I had been and had since learned the value of money at school. I laughed to myself thinking: This penny is almost valueless, it cannot buy me a meal, it cannot buy me clothes, and it certainly cannot provide me with shelter. I then tucked it away in my coat pocket for safe keeping.
Today is my 30th birthday. This morning before work, I pulled on my coat, stepped outside, and started walking towards Boston Harbor. With only an hour until I had to be at my stressful engineering job, I wanted some time alone from my roommates. It is the beginning of October, and the temperature is getting chillier every day. I watched my breath form little clouds in the air as I walked. When I arrived at my favorite spot, I stuck my hands in my pockets and felt something cold with metal rigids against my hand. What I pull out is a penny, and not just any penny I realized, it’s my special penny from grandma.
Now, as I stare out at the still water, my grandma’s words came back to me. She said this penny would teach me many lessons in life, and it certainly has. When I was ten, I thought this penny held great value. When I was 20, I thought the opposite. I looked down at the small penny in my hands and began to see how far this penny had come. I now realize it’s not about worth; it’s about how something as tiny in size as a penny can make a big impact on someone’s way of thinking.