It must have rained during the night.

Not a deluge, but the sidewalk still had wet spots when I took my morning walk.

I wouldn’t think I’d notice the subtle glimmer of a penny against the wet surface of the sidewalk, let alone while I was walking, often staring into the windows of small businesses along Lawrence Avenue, but I did.

My mind, which was pretty much into the blur of objects as I passed them, started fixating on this small, round shiny object. The question of whether I should just be satisfied noticing it or whether I wanted to interact with it occupied my thoughts?

Should I pick it up? I wondered.

Of course, I couldn’t help but think about associating found pennies with luck. There are many traditions and superstitions around this.

According to one theory, finding pennies was looked at as good luck because metals were precious and often considered to be a gift of protection from the gods.

Some believe that you should only pick up a penny if you find it in a heads-up position. This view continues to be popular _— with a suggestion. If you find a copper coin tails up, you should turn it over for someone else to find and pass the good luck on to them.

Many make no distinction between one side of a penny being a sign of good things to come and the other being a sign of impending disappointment. Any amount of found money represents wealth you didn’t have the day before and should be received gratefully.

“Find a penny. Pick it up.  All day long, you’ll have good luck.”

The saying played repeatedly in my head.

I decided to pick up the shiny red disk. When I got home, I mixed it in with other coins I kept in a cut glass dish on my bedroom dresser. Not necessarily because it made me feel wealthy, I liked the notion of noticing things that might easily be overlooked.

To me, the penny represented paying attention and being open to changing direction based on what life presented.

I couldn’t help but think about how small events or gestures, especially when they seem to come at the perfect time, can affect my mood and outlook.

Finding money when I’m feeling lack, any amount, can boost my sense of optimism about my finances. Receiving a compliment when I’m feeling “invisible” reminds me that my best can be seen even when I’m not celebrating an accomplishment.

In adding this penny to my dish of coins, I contemplated my attitude about gratitude. I had to ask myself what the difference was between “luck” and “good fortune” for which I feel a special kind of appreciation.

It seems that feeling lucky is brought on by an external event like winning a lottery or getting chosen for a dream job. These kinds of events can’t be predicted or controlled.

Good fortune is often defined as a run of lucky or advantageous outcomes, but I think there’s more to it.

To me, good fortune is a state of mind. Although good fortune is not guaranteed never to change, it does not feel as arbitrary as luck, as short-lived as a single win.

I think of being fortunate as a state that’s harder to lose. Luck can easily run out. It can be lost as easily as found.

I always think of myself as fortunate because I pay attention to life as it happens.

I ALWAYS know how to return to a grateful state when I practice seeing how what I value is already in my life.

I am glad I can detect a penny on the sidewalk, and I applaud my ability to appreciate the experience.

Knowing the difference between luck and good fortune is no small thing.

Re-printed with permission.

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