Money, lately, talks to me.
Like this 60 year old penny that caught my attention when counting change recently.
Can you imagine all that this one little coin has been through?
The places it’s been for the last 60 years?
My parents’ marriage was “minted” 60 years ago too – March 12, 1953.
In 1953, my parents’ marriage and this penny, were shiny and new.
Now they both bear the rich patina of age.
In 60 years they’ve experienced
-early married life in the US Navy
-three daughters
-one son
-homes in seven states
-lean tuna casserole years
-prosperous travel years
-myriad changes in societal norms
-sickness and health
-years of camping and outdoor fun in the mountains
-nine grandchildren
-five great-grandchildren
-day after day after week after week after month after month, which turned into year after year spinning and looping into decade after decade before stacking up to sixty years.
How many times did their sense of commitment keep them by each others’ side?
Only they really know.
How deeply did their love reach to have enriched their journey so far?
Only they can fully feel.
How often was their faith called up to strengthen their resolve?
Only they can wincingly recall the trials and tests.
And tell me, where does a penny go for 60 long years?
How is this one still circulating when most others have been lost or smashed or gone missing, buried mistakenly in the dirt or are still tossing about with seashells and pebbles on the ocean floor?
How many children’s sticky hands grasped this one penny on the way to ice cream or comic books?
How many piggy-banks was it plopped into over the years; a small part of how many dreams?
Which cash registers did it pass through?
-a Macy’s in Chicago?
-a ski shop in Aspen?
-a coffee shop in Seattle?
-a surf shop near the sands of Venice Beach?
Who knows this penny’s history?
Only the penny, really.
And pennies don’t speak.
Except when they cling, for a breath of a second longer at your fingertips to give you a chance to hear.
And I heard.
What it whispered, which gave me pause,
was how very long sixty years really is
yet on the flip side, how very quickly sixty years pass.
A 1953 penny, I discovered, is now worth 80 cents to a collector.
As for my parents’ marriage of 60 years?
Well it’s of immeasurable worth to them, I’m sure,
as it is to me, born from their union.
Two sides of one coin they are.
To have made it this far?
Priceless.
What an amazing post, Barb…happy anniversary to your lovely parents. Their story touched a heart here in CA this morning.
Always so nice to hear from you, Lina! Thank you.
What a wonderful marriage and tribute post. Congratulations to your parents.
grownandflown recently posted..Mothers and Sons
Congrats indeed! Thank you.
Happy anniversary to your mom and dad! Sixty years is quite an accomplishment.
Ginger Kay recently posted..My childhood home
Thank you Ginger.
Cherish the time. You are lucky that your parents have enjoyed such longevity. I remember them during the water skiing at Lake Powell years. How time has flown.
On wings of lightning it goes!
The penny reminds me of “Oh the Places You’ll Go”. It has lived quite an adventure, as have your parents. What a truly creative juxtaposition. How wonderful that your parents were able to make it work for all these years. That amount of love and commitment truly is priceless.
Tammy recently posted..Not 20 Any More
Great connection, Tammy. Love the universal truths and fun that Seuss wrote.
Lovely tribute to your parents’ marriage, Barb. And congratulations to the lucky couple! Seems like marriages minted in the olden days lasted longer than they do today, perhaps a nod to their determination to honor the words they vowed one another. At any rate, I couldn’t help but think, That’s why I always wash my hands real good after touching money — you never know where it’s been, ha!
Debbie recently posted..Trivial Facts About This and That
hahaha Debbie – yes, money is so germy and filthy. Euuuuuuuuw!!
Oh, I love this post! So much to ponder. Please God, may I know that patina some day!
May recently posted..Peach Coffee Cake
Patina is so rich, isn’t it May?
I think there is a novel in this post, Barbara. So rich and lush, I raced through it only to return to the top and start over. Short story at least…
Brenda, my husband said almost the exact same thing last night when he read it. I just don’t see it. Are we the hardest on ourselves with what we write? My mother called last night to say thank you and asked how I even came up with “things like that.” Meaning the penny thing I’m sure and relating it to their marriage. “I don’t know, Mom,” I said, “it’s just naturally the way my weird mind travels.” Seems every day to me. Must be a bit off kilter to most. In any event – thank you so much for saying that.
Everything about this post is lovely. The analogy, the poetic way you crafted it, the story itself – your parents’ marriage.
My parents never made it that far, but ironically – my grandparents had long and deeply committed relationships – true “til death do us part” through all the ups and downs that entails.
A unit. 60+ years on one side, and 50 on the other.
Extraordinary by today’s standards, but not only a matter of longevity, but quality. That’s what we need to reflect on as well.
Beautiful post. Far more than a “penny” for your thoughts…
D. A. Wolf recently posted..F-F-F-Phobias
Thank you BLW. Thank you.