With the advent of (some) spring weather, I have resumed my long walks on the mean streets.
I walked up to the fabric store to get some thread last week and passed some nice fat robins on my way out of the neighborhood.
Sometimes, when the world around me seems a little scary, I take a lot of comfort in the presence and the songs of the birds.
Seeing the robins, all fat and happy, for the first time this spring, did my soul good.
This year, the Prince has taken to joining me on my walks occasionally.
That does my soul good, too.
The second time he tagged along this season, we were about a mile and a half out when he started thinking (out loud) that maybe we'd gone far enough.
I told him "I haven't found my coins yet. We might have to walk for quite awhile".
"Well, can we do it in the direction of the house?"
"I guess so. But we'd better take a different route home."
Now, I've told you before that I find, almost exclusively, dimes and pennies on the street.
We started talking about that, and I told the Prince my new working theory about why there aren't any quarters and nickels.
"I think it's because dimes and pennies are lighter and thinner than the other coins. They probably slip though holes in pockets and out of our hands easier than other coins. And maybe we don't hear them drop as easily because they are lighter."
"Makes sense" said the Prince.
We were about four blocks from the house when I realized we'd really slowed down the pace, so I decided to rev it up a bit.
The Prince told me to forge ahead, he didn't want to hold me back.
I pressed on.
I'm guessing I didn't get twenty paces before he yelled out, "Hey! You missed something!"
I walked back.
He was holding out the coin I'd passed by.
It was a quarter.
He tried to get me to take it for my collection.
"But, I didn't find it and I just told you that I only find dimes and pennies".
I told him I thought it was sheer perfection that he'd found the quarter.
He's always wanted more money than I've wanted.
He tried to insist that I take it, but I think maybe he was just afraid he would have to walk forever before I found my coins.
We were still walking and talking about it when, mere yards later, I said "Aha! There's my penny!"
And when I knelt down to pick it up...
...I found a dime, too.
We both laughed.
Neither of us believed it was simply coincidence that we'd each found the coins we had.
I took mine home and added them to my other rescued coins from this spring.
And I still smile when I remember how we sensed the presence and friendship of God in that funny little episode on the mean streets.