DEAR ABBY: Seven years ago my husband had a stroke. The first day I walked out of the hospital, I picked up three pennies and put them in my pocket. His condition was touch-and-go.
Every day walking out of the hospital, I would find a penny or two and add them to the others in my pocket. When I changed clothes, I would transfer the pennies to the pocket of what I was wearing. It seems unbelievable, but every single day I would find more pennies. In a strange way, I found it comforting because I felt reassured my husband would pull through -- and he did!
To this day, every time I pick up a penny on the street, I add it to the pennies I saved from the hospital. I will never spend them because they brought my husband and me good luck when we most needed it. -- LENA KATZ, WEST PALM BEACH, FLA.
DEAR LENA: Those pennies are a tangible reminder of your good fortune. And that alone makes them priceless.