“When you have only two pennies left in the world, buy a loaf of bread with one, and a lily with the other.”

– Chinese Proverb

What do you do with your pennies?  Some people consider them obsolete and say that we should no longer mint coins of such insignificant value.  Many of them lie in gutters and on sidewalks and rattle around in the change trays of our cars.  What do you do with yours?

The Chinese proverb says that when you have only two pennies left in the world, one should be used for food and the other for a lily — one for practical matters, and one for beauty.  Buying a lily is one way of embracing beauty.  Giving to a cause that promotes beauty for someone else is another way.  How much beauty do you suppose we could create if we simply gathered up all the meaningless pennies that clutter our lives and filled the charity collection jars until they overflowed?  How many people whose lives cry out for something beautiful could have their needs met by small acts of kindness that come together and create large miracles?

Our family has seen, first-hand, how the kindness and generosity of strangers can impact the lives of people they never will know.  Ronald McDonald House and Easter Seals have been a part of our family’s life since the birth of our sweet Cheyenne four years ago.  The care and comfort they have brought to her and to her parents has shown us the importance of every single penny that lands in every single collection box — the ones we used to walk past and not even notice.  It has been four years since I have passed people collecting for any group that offers hope without leaving a dollar behind.  I am not a wealthy woman, but I have seen first-hand how the smallest acts accumulate to create miracles — and I would like to be a part of that.

In just two days, Cheyenne and her family will board a plane that will take them to the place where a little girl’s wish will come true.  The Make A Wish organization has arranged to send them on a fantasy vacation to Walt Disney World.  To some of us, such a trip sounds like an often-repeated vacation.  To Cheyenne, this will be a visit to a land inhabited by lifelong friends — the beloved characters from the Disney movies that have entertained her through many hospital stays and recovery periods.  She will put on her Cinderella dress and finally meet the real princesses she knows so well.  Mickey and Minnie will be there, too; and Donald, and Goofy, and a whole world of fun and fantasy that our little one cannot even imagine — and it will be provided without cost.

Already there are some packed suitcases lined up at Chey’s house.  It takes a lot of pink and purple wardrobe to get two little princesses — Chey and her little sister, Harper — through a whole week of travel.  There will be medical supplies to pack as well, and it will require our van to deliver the kids to the airport.  When I wish upon a star tonight, my wish will be that the worry and the extreme parenting and the very scheduled lifestyle that takes so much time and energy will take a backseat to the wonder, the magic, and the delight of a wish fulfilled — just for one week.

When I feel the excitement that is brewing for my son and his family, I am filled with gratitude.  That gratitude belongs to every single person who has ever dropped a penny or a quarter into a collection jar.  It belongs to every person who has donated frequent flyer miles so that families like ours will have transportation to the places where their wishes come true.  It belongs to the restaurants, the fundraising efforts, the corporations, and the wonderful folks at Make a Wish who pull it all together and make dreams come alive.

There is no way I can repay these generous people, but I can pay it forward.  Two weeks ago we were out of town for a basketball tournament with our teenager.  At lunchtime, we popped into a Panera Bread restaurant for a quick bite to eat.  There on the counter was a collection box for Make a Wish.  It just filled me with warm delight to see it there, and I fished in my handbag for the cash I keep for just such occasions.  I’ve seen boxes at Perkins Restaurant, too; and I am struck by the miraculous way these small efforts add up to huge blessings for some kids who need to have a wish come true.

So, here’s the challenge.  Gather up your pennies.  Be sure to buy yourself some food; but don’t forget to buy a lily or two and bring some beauty to the world.  Better yet, when you see that collection box, have water with your meal.  Skip the coffee or soda, and fold a couple of bills to add a little green to the contents.  You will never miss that beverage, and it will make someone’s wish come true.  No lily was ever that beautiful.