A Penny from Heaven

Have you ever read about people finding pennies after a loved one dies? I'd read the stories and thought it was great that these people had found something to help them through their grief. Did I believe the pennies were really from heaven? Did I think the person who had passed on had somehow found a way to manipulate a penny into a place where it would be seen by one of their loved ones? A place where you might not expect to see a penny, but these people found a penny there. In some of the stories, the pennies even have the birth date or some other meaningful date to the person finding it or the person who had passed on. 

I never doubted the sincerity of the people telling the story, but I'm something of a skeptic or maybe like somebody from the Show Me State. If I couldn't see it for myself, I always figured it was some kind of weird coincidence and/or the surviving person wanting to find a connection.

And then we went to the memory care facility Monday to get my mother's things. She didn't have a lot there. Just her clothes and blankets and wheelchair. But to keep from making a lot of trips the people at the facility let us borrow a dolly that made a little cart to carry the boxes and bags out to the car. We loaded it down and rolled it out to my car. When we finished unloading it, I started to take the dolly back inside and there on it was a penny. Face up. Now it could have fallen out of the old purse Mom had at the home. That was certainly a possibility for she did have a few coins in that purse. But the purse was up on top of the piles of clothes. It seems unlikely that a penny would have fallen out of it and not bounced off the metal dolly to roll away on the floor.  Of course, it could have taken a lucky bounce and stuck on the railing, but the second I saw the shiny penny, I remembered the stories I'd read about all the pennies from heaven. And I felt a gentle touch from heaven that everything was all right. 

My mother had a similar comfort experience after her mother died. My grandmother died suddenly and so Mom was not really expecting her death as we were with Mom. In the days after my grandmother died, Mom had trouble sleeping. Then one night as she was lying awake in bed, she says she saw her mother coming over to the edge of a cloud to look down at her and tell her, in no uncertain words, she was doing fine in heaven and she wanted Mom to quit all that worrying about her. That things were good in heaven. 

Things surely are good in heaven. And some of us have a penny to prove it. 

Have you ever heard a penny from heaven story or experienced something like that yourself?

Facing the Truth of Dementia

"Stories can conquer fear, you know. They can make the heart bigger." ~Ben Okri

A sweet friend sent me this book as a gift. Tracy and I met at a writing conference several years ago and then exchanged e-mails now and again. She has a caring heart, and she has also walked dementia's road with her mother. We talked about the challenges of caretaking, the sadness of our mothers losing those wonderful family memories, and the sorrow of losing the mothers we knew and loved so well even before they passed on. Somebody once said dementia or Alzheimer's is the long death. 

Her mother has passed on. My mother is still hanging on, but she's not doing well. She doesn't know me anymore, but she still lets me hold her hand and hug her. Most of the time. She still gives me a kiss when I leave. But this last week, she has seemed farther away and I've had the feeling that something is wrong. It's so sad to sit with her and have her look at me with a "please, do something" look. Most of the time I can't understand what she's saying and she can't understand me either. It's like all the words have been dumped out of a sack and she can no longer sort them out to find the right ones to say or to hear. 

But then Monday when I was there, she suddenly looked up at me and said plain as day, "My back hurts so bad I can barely stand it." The nurse gave her some medicine, but with my mother's extensive osteoarthritis, there's not much that eases the pain. She lived with pain for years. She was tough and able to bear what had to be borne, but that was with memory to give her a reference point. Now each pain is new and unknown since she can't remember the day or hour before. When I went back Tuesday, she was no better. Nor was she any better today when my sister went, but they did let her lie down and she went to sleep. Perhaps that will rest her back. 

Dementia is such a difficult disease, and so many families are facing the same kinds of hard times that my family is dealing with right now. In the introduction to Living with Alzheimer's & Other Dementias, Angela Timashenka Geiger of the Alzheimer's Association says 44 million people worldwide are living with some kind a dementia related illness. I teared up reading the introduction. Not sure I'm brave enough to read the stories. 

Do stories help you deal with problems in your life? 

Many of the stories I've written bring a tear to the reader's eyes. Some of the tears because the story is touching, but some because fiction mirrors real life and sad things happen in life. Mom having to live out her final years with dementia is one of those sad things. It is not what I wanted for her. It is not what she wanted either. She was always so self reliant, so ready to enjoy life. It's not what I would want for anyone. I just heard of another friend who lived life to the fullest that has been diagnosed with some sort of dementia and is in a facility. Dementia happens and it's sad. 

The final sentence in Ms. Geiger's introduction urges all of us to take action in the fight "whether by sharing your experience, speaking up, or spreading the word--so that someday, the only story we have left to write is about the end of Alzheimer's disease." 

And the Winners Are

"Winning is only half of it. Having fun is the other half." (Bum Phillips)

Another book celebration comes to an end with winners picked and contacted. You all make my contests so much fun with your stories and comments. Thank you for taking the time to toss your names in my hat for the giveaway drawing. Some of you take part in every contest I post and I do appreciate that, because it wouldn't be much fun throwing a celebration party if nobody showed up. I always enjoyed reading the stories you share with me when I have a contest where I ask you to tell me a story for a change instead of the other way around. This time, most of you said you didn't have Valentine stories. That might prove that Valentine's Day is more important to the florists and the greeting card companies than to us average folks. But the stories I did hear from a few of you were fun and proved that it's not the size of the Valentines, but the love behind those Valentines that make the difference.

While you didn't have to share a story to win, it turns out that some of the winners did share Valentine stories. Deanna was the first place winner and wins the charm bracelet I know Jocie would have loved and a signed set of the Hollyhill books which include Scent of Lilacs, Orchard of Hope, and Summer of Joy. Deanna shares what made Valentine's Day fun for her and every day a good day. 

"I was blessed to receive roses from my husband, he is terrible about getting things over on me but he picked them out, brought them home and hid them from me to surprise me this a.m. while I was getting ready to go to work. Little things that we do for each other every day, not just certain days make things special. Asking if we would like to have something while the other one is up, getting the other's toothbrush ready, knowing I like a certain thing, making sure to get it or make a nice meal, all things that help in a relationship." 

Thanks, Deanna. Sounds like you and your husband have figured out how to have a great relationship. 

Now for the rest of the winners. Judy B won second place and gets the ring dish with the cute bike on it and that set of Hollyhill books. Cynthia B can't say she's never won anything from me before. She gets a box of candy and her pick of one of my books. She picked Small Town Girl. Those are the winners of the Summer of Joy Celebration Giveaway, but I also promised to pick two winners here on my blog. Winning a copy of their choice of one of my books is Gayle P and Noelle. I do so appreciate everyone of you who took time to leave comments on my posts here and join in with my giveaway fun. I love hearing from you and reading your comments and the stories you share. 

Noelle shared a story of love about her grandmother. 

"A love story did you say? Well, I thought about it for quite awhile and decided at least for me, there has never been such a love as my Granny's! 

Granny lost her true love not once, not twice but trice. The first involved leaving her country/continent for another and she could not choose between those she loved so she remained home. The second sadly died shortly before Mum was born and left Granny alone in her twenties to raise a child without any means. 

The third left her a widow at age 56 and she thought love was over for ever. Whilst on the coast, she met a scuba diver who asked her to watch his gear whilst diving. Thus begins my story...

I was still little and never knew how much developed from this relationship but I can tell you that's when my Dad asked Granny to take care of my sibling and myself. I do remember this scuba diver's visit though as he invited us kids to go to the sweet shoppe. We felt we had won the lottery of course and when the shoppe owner saw our rather extensive list of sweets, she said: "Now be sure to say thank you to Grandpa" to which we piped up "Oh, that's not Grandpa, just Granny's boyfriend!"

Another era with etiquette to be observed and such a thing frowned upon...But with love shining in her eyes,Granny bounced back and gave us a hug, shrugging her shoulders and just smiled.

Imagine our Mum's face when the story was told, I can tell you no one forgot this story soon!

One more thing: Granny chose not to accept the scuba diver's invitation to remain by his side for life, instead she raised us!

Love is a many splendored thing, is it not?

Love does come in many sizes and shapes, Noelle. Thanks for sharing your story with us. Your granny must have been quite a woman. 

Again, thanks to all of you for joining in with my giveaway fun. I hope you had fun too. Now to start thinking up some fun prizes for a June contest to celebrate Love Comes Home. And maybe I can think up a better subject to get you all talking. Any ideas?

Ready, Set, Go - Winners Picked!

"Good things come to those who believe, better things come to those who wait, and the best things come to those who don't give up."

This is Riggs, my son-in-law and daughter's dog. They picked him as a pup because he seemed to be the quietest and listened the best. He must have been on his best behavior that day because he's rarely been quiet or still since. Here he's watching me waiting for me to throw a stick for him to fetch. See his paw up - ready, set, go. 

But you know, I think we can learn a few things from Riggs. First, he's always ready for a good time. Second, he can have fun with whatever stick he might find, whether it's no more than a twig or a branch he has to break down to size. Third, he keeps his focus. He'll stand like that and watch the stick he brought you or the ball he wants you to throw for long minutes until you know what? You pick it up and throw it. Then he's gone like a flash to bring it back to you and start the whole cycle over again. He never seems to get bored at doing what he does best - fetching. 

It's time for me to be ready, set, go on a new story. I've found the stick (got the idea). Now all I need is the belief that the stick (the story) is worth pursuing and the focus to keep my eye on that story. I need to keep trying to do what I do best and that is tell a story. 

Meanwhile, thank you all so much for leaving comments this week and entering my drawing for a copy of Christmas at Harmony Hill.  I used Random.org to choose my winner. And the winner is -- Central East 2. (I'll be sending you an e-mail, Central East 2, to get your mailing address and then will send your book.) And because I had so many wonderful entries and because nearly all of you said you liked Christmas novels, I got in the Christmas spirit in August and picked a second winner. Linda McFarland, you're my extra winner this time. (Sending you an e-mail too, Linda.)

I also have copies of Small Town Girl to send out to the winners over on Seekerville. Had a great time talking to everybody over there about books and writing. 

Now you can read about my experience of having my first child on Lyn Cote's Blog. And guess what? You can leave a comment there to have another chance to win Christmas at Harmony Hill. It's such fun to give away books and I'll enjoy hearing what you have to say about my post on Lyn's site.

Thanks for reading. Oh, and if you want a smile about Riggs, go to my Facebook page and see his video. :)