This morning, walking on West 35th Street in NYC in the 17˚ air, I spotted a crisp $20 bill on the sidewalk about to make a getaway in the wind. I stopped its progress with my clunky snow boot, picked up the bill, looked around to see if anyone was chasing it, and then pocketed it.
Wow! Lucky me. Then pow! I saw another 20 and grabbed it. Looked around. No one in pursuit and stashed that one in my pocket. Zipped my pocket.
There are few things more exalting than finding renegade cash. A surprise! A delight! Makes you want to tell someone immediately. Hey! Guess what?
I wonder why finding money is so thrilling. Not like the 40 bucks is going to change my life. But it reminds me of the whimsy of life, the spontaneity of things—anything can happen at any time—and how the universe provides.
For me, finding money signifies abundance and reminds me of my great fortune to live where money sometimes floats in the street.
It’s not the first time I’ve found money, though it’s a lot more than I’m used to spying. I’ve kept my eye out for currency ever since a friend told me he’d been keeping a jar of found money for years and had almost $200. He called his stash God’s money. He believed it was a gift from some greater power.
So I started collecting found money. Mostly bruised pennies, some silver, and today two unsuspecting Andrew Jacksons.
I’ve decided to donate the money I found today not because I’m altruistic but because I believe my friend is right. Found money is circulated goodwill and a reminder to express gratitude for all my riches—beautiful sons, good health, ability to express myself creativity, comfortable home.
Lucky me.
Looking forward to reading more great job.
Love that your are donating your lucky find. Keeping the luck moving forward…great idea.
Wow. What a find–$40. The most I ever found was $20. You did a wonderful job expressing the pleasant discovery of runaway cash. Love it.
Amazing article, as I knew it would be!!!! Proud of you 🙂
Fantastic article my friend…I’m going to start stashing those pennies I’m always finding!
Better to find than to lose eh? ……remember the honeymmooners episode when ralph found the bag of money? Keep up the good work!!!
What a wonderful practice, to look for bounty from unexpected sources. It is always easy to find things to be grateful for. We just have to keep our eyes open to all the goodness around us and to all the gifts that are within our reach. Please keep writing Janet.
The most I have ever found on the street was $60 on my stoop moments after my husband left for work. Clearly it was his since it was kind of windy and it hadn’t blown away. I picked it up, three folded 20’s and quickly called him to let him know I was the saving grace of his $60 bucks. But it wasn’t his, he checked his wallet, and believe me he knows every dead president he has squirreled away. I thought I would treat myself to maybe a manicure, pedicure or perhaps too many unnecessary lottery scratch offs. But first I had to know where my windfall had come from. I asked the neighbor, the mailman, the dry cleaning deliveryman who momentarily said ‘maybe’ but then corrected it to ‘no’ in his best broken English. Once I confirmed it was in fact a gift from…God(??) I painted, buffed and scratched. Unlike you I didn’t pay it forward…next time for sure.