DEAR ABBY: I got chills when I read the letter from Dave Brown about how he found a brand-new 2001 penny in his car.
That very day I, too, found a brand-new shiny 2001 penny in my truck. I thought of my dad the instant I saw it. He has been gone more than 12 years. I still have it; I carry it in my wallet. -- B.D., ORANGE, CALIF.
DEAR B.D.: I'm glad the discovery of a penny makes "cents" to you. Since you find it comforting -- that's terrific. Read on:
DEAR ABBY: I loved the stories about the pennies from heaven. To my chagrin, my late husband would pick up any and all loose change he found on the ground, proclaiming himself to someday be rich because of what others threw away. Even if it was just one penny he would stop, bend over and pick it up. He has been gone just over a year, and whenever I saw a coin on the ground I would think of him and be a bit sad.
No more! After reading your interpretation of what these coins could mean, I smile each and every time I see a shiny penny. Thank you, Abby, for taking a sad memory and turning it into a happy one. -- RICHER BECAUSE OF PENNIES FROM HEAVEN
DEAR RICHER: You're welcome. The "pennies from heaven" letters were a subject that many people have taken to heart and commented upon. I catch myself singing "... and if it keeps on thundering, don't run under a tree, there'll be pennies from heaven for you and for me" in the mornings when I'm taking my shower. (The acoustics are great in there.) Read on:
DEAR ABBY: Recent letters in your column about the symbolism of finding pennies prompt my own.
I am 74 years old. Every time I see a penny on the ground I bend down to pick it up and say to myself, "99 more bends and I'll have a buck!" -- OL' MAN TOM IN LONG ISLAND, N.Y.
DEAR OL' MAN TOM: You are indeed penny-wise. However, if you crouch down to pick up a dollar's worth of pennies, you won't have to spend them on medication to relieve the pain in your lower back you'll get from bending.