Something that I have become rather fond of doing over the last couple of years is to every so often take a shiny penny and find somewhere to put it down, head side up, in the day. Usually I wait until I feel a certain vibe or energy and set it there. It's actually really fun. :) And if I see a penny already on the ground, tail side up, I flip it so that it becomes lucky.
I know it might be a little silly to do. But as a little kid and even young teen I always loved finding a penny head side up because it was a lucky penny. I have never had terribly great luck, not really. So finding a lucky penny made me feel like I was in for an awesome rest of the day! :D That wasn't always the case, but it was a nice little smile and thought. :)
So now that I'm older, I like to set a shiny penny down for someone to find and give them a smile - who knows, maybe it'll even bring a little good luck with it? ;) I do a shiny penny because those ones are more noticeable. And that's part of why I don't do this on even a weekly basis; you don't always get shiny pennies. Just sometimes. At least, in my experience. Plus I wait for a good feeling and for the thought to cross my mind to put one down. :) So sometimes it might be two pennies in a week or even a day - and sometimes it will be weeks or months between pennies. But it is a fun thing to do. :D
After being trapped indoors for so many months...the first penny that I was able to go outside and set down was actually right outside the front door, not too far off from our mailbox by the sidewalk. It made me really excited because we live about a block down from an elementary school, and I know that there are a few families that walk past our house after school. I hope it was able to make one of those kids happy. :D
Anyway, that's my post for the day. And the thought to go with it, I guess, is that sometimes the greatest joy you can give yourself is to do something small for someone you don't know. If it's something similar to lucky pennies, you won't get to see any effects it might have. In fact, a lot of the time when we do something for someone we don't know - we don't get to see the effect.
Sometimes there is something immediate; like if you see someone begging on the side of the road, for example, if you go and get them a sandwich and give it to them, you'll hopefully get to see a smile. :)
A high school acquaintance from a school club I was part of the presidency in...we were in the big city where I am located attending either a national or a regional conference. He had an extra sandwich or two. He'd packed them for dinner, but the presidency all pitched in to get dinner at a restaurant. As we were coming back that night, we passed a homeless man sitting on a bench, out in the cold. This acquaintance once we got back, turned to our adviser and asked if he could get his sandwiches and go back to this homeless man and give them to him. He said he didn't need them and that he really wanted to do it. He got permission and ran off. Our adviser told the rest of us she was worried that the man wouldn't be thankful at all. The acquaintance returned some minutes later, smiling. He had sat and talked with the man while he ate the sandwiches, and it had been a good experience for him.
That acquaintance probably never saw that homeless man again, but I know he made an impression. How often does someone stop like that to not just feed one of these individuals, but to talk to them? I think most people just toss some change at them and keep going. And that moment has stuck with me, even though it was a few years ago. It was very touching. I always knew that this acquaintance was a great person, but it was just amazing to see that sincerity and concern for others in action.
It might have been around that time, actually, that I started the pennies. I'm not sure. It wouldn't surprise me if seeing his kindness inspired my tradition. :) And I'm not 100% sure what gave me the idea to start leaving lucky pennies in random locations. But I know that it's a simple thing to do. I don't get to see the people pick it up, and the pennies probably don't really make a difference to any of these people in the long-run...but I still feel good when I do it, and I know that for at least a moment it will bring a smile to a stranger's face. Who knows? Maybe even a smile that they need in that moment.
So, dear reader, you don't have to do anything huge to make a difference in the world around you. Just something small and simple. And...it seems that people who do little things for others, are some of the happiest people I've ever known. :) So...just do something small for someone from time to time - I promise that it will bring you some degree of joy! :D
Wishing you much happiness in your day, dear reader! ^^
-Bryn
PS:
Before I forget. Happy St. Patrick's Day! :)
Before I forget. Happy St. Patrick's Day! :)
