Hey Buddy, Can You Spare a Dime?

What's a dime got to do with anything? Not much unless it is one of your most prized possessions. As usual, most mental roads continue to lead back to Paul...but that's OK. As time passes, it's a much smoother ride. Loving memories.

In November, 2008, after a long and emotionally draining day during the move out of the AZ house, my sisters and I were beaten, tired and in desperate need of comfort and amnesia. Our savior was friend Deb who indulged us beautifully. Under the stars in warm swirling water with glasses of wine, we discussed past loved ones and the theory of pennies from heaven. Deb's father had suffered a premature death and her mother had told her if she found a penny, it was from heaven. I commented if it involved Paul, it would at least be a dime. Afterwards, at our Scottsdale home we found dimes everywhere. The most significant one was underneath the liner in his shaving and toothpaste drawer, far removed from where any dime would ever find its way. I marked it and kept it as my dime from heaven.

Since then, I have carried it, lost it, misplaced it, but always with the faith it will come back to me, proven true numerous times. Many times I have opened a drawer and found a dime, walked down a street and found a dime, reached into my purse and pulled out a dime, fished for the last washcloth in the dryer and found a dime. But, at times, the finding of a dime has been much more blatant, like once on a plane underneath my feet while thinking of Paul the whole time wishing he was with me...etc.

So, back to my dime. I hadn't seen it for months but thought it was probably in a pocket of a pair of jeans put away months ago and replaced with summer shorts. The weekend we all traveled to Ben's deployment ceremony to Afghanistan, I really needed my lucky dime. I looked everywhere it might be to no avail. And then, randomly, I moved a clock in the laundry room and found it within the interior of the frame...a place I have no idea how it got there...(me, I know, but... how, what, when and, WHY?)

So, tucked away in my pocket like a winning lottery ticket we traveled to Council Bluffs with my special dime linking Paul to us and his angelic presence at our side.

Paul and I attended Ben's deployment 3 years ago when he was called to Iraq. We traveled in our plane to Sioux Falls that day and by no means was it easy, but we both knew it was so very important to pay respects to the 100's of soldiers called to duty. As difficult and tiring a trip as it was, it was so well worth it.

OK, back to this trip. We arrived in different cars in Council Bluffs, checked into the hotel and went to our rooms. The plan was to meet at my sister Lynne's room to join everyone for dinner. When I knocked on her door, she opened it and asked if I had put a dime outside her threshold. I said no. She opened her hand and showed me a dime....we are pretty certain it is from heaven.

Ben's career choice to serve our country in this day and age was pretty awesome to Paul. They shared a love for hunting and fishing and guns and other things, but most noticeable was the commonality of humble dispositions.

I know Lynne will keep that dime forever, the dime from heaven, a sign that someone from above is watching over her son and will be his wingman...heaven to earth...Houston...we have contact.

So, if you see a dime somewhere, sometime, feel free to pick it up and think of an angel. And also, feel free to be an angel to those who need our prayers. We have so many young people who are trying their best to defend this county the only way they know how...please support them and hope for some miracle to end the desire of our enemies to destroy. That is probably a pipe dream but the other pipe dream is to collect enough dimes to make a difference...

Hey, buddy, have you got a dime?

Yes I do, have you?