Pennies from Heaven?

The Eagles have won the 2018 Super Bowl. Was there any doubt that the Birds would overcome the New England Patriots and Tom Brady, the best quarterback in the NFL? Of course, there was. There was plenty of doubt. There was good reason for that doubt. The previous decade (…and then some…) of Philadelphia sports, especially football, has been an emotional roller coaster ride that had more lows than highs. Even the most dismal losses tested the commitment of the Philadelphia football fan. Yet the fans endured, literally endured.

This winning season for the Eagles was cast a real monkey wrench when Carson Wentz tore up his knee and the humble Nick Foles stepped in. As a quarterback Foles had the arm and range of Wentz, but he did not project the same practical confidence and on the field certainly does not have the same eye for a receiver as Wentz. Yet, he soon gained an obvious confidence on the field and with the support of the team, he stepped up.

Soon after I sent my husband on his way to Minnesota to watch his Eagles play the Super bowl, I sauntered off to my appointment at the nail salon. As I hung my jacket on the back of my chair all my change fell out of the pocket. With the mix of quarters, nickels, and dimes there was about 10 pennies included in all the change.

Every penny was heads up.

If you give superstition any weight to fate, you will understand the importance of a heads-up penny that lands on the ground. Heads up, good luck, pick it up…Tails up, turn it over and leave it for the next person to find and have some good luck and be a penny richer for the find.

My mother was firm believer in this mantra. She religiously picked up pennies if she saw them on the ground, but only if they were heads up and if it was tails up, she turned it over and left it for someone else to have the luck of a little extra cash. I carried on this belief, superstitious or not.

I had to double check all that fallen coinage and sure enough, all the pennies were heads up. I took it as a potential omen, a message from heaven. However, the jaded soul in me decided to not get too excited and kept that secret to myself. 

This was Super Bowl Weekend. I had to carry on as I did every weekend during the season, no shifts in the routine. Now I share this story about this fortuitous omen as the fans still bask in the glory of the long overdue win.

Do I believe my Mom was sending a message from heaven with all those heads-up pennies? Maybe, but I wish she would send some winning lottery numbers.