Friday April 1, 2005 10:13 AM

“If you don’t look for the pennies, you will never see the dollars,” is my pearl of wisdom this week.

I don’t know about you…but a penny was coveted, a nickel was treasured, and a quarter, was something kids of my generations saw maybe at Christmas or if you were rich, on a birthday. Nowadays, my kids won’t even pick up a quarter, yet they wonder why I’m always finding money. One time leaving the coliseum after the circus, I found 10 bucks. I told them, it’s because I’m not ashamed to bend and pick up a penny. I still do. It’s like recycling. Kids wonder why people do it.

There are other things we parents do that our kids wonder about…like recycling. As the season of Lent has closed, I debated if I should write something about “Women’s History Month” or family. My sister answered my question with this email she sent me. As you can see, she’s a better writer than I am. This week’s column honors women, written by my sister, and combines the idea of looking for value in the small things, as my sister explains to her daughter and her daughter’s friend about using things that are still useable.

“I was thinking about when you two were over the past weekend and when you commented on my recycling a lot of things, so I wanted to share this with you. Hope you understand. It is worth the read.

“I grew up in the 40s/50s with practical parents. A mother, God love her, who washed aluminum foil after she cooked in it, then reused it. She was the original recycle queen, before they had a Name for it. A father who was happier getting old shoes fixed than buying new ones. Their marriage was good, their dreams focused. Their best friends lived barely a wave away.

“I can see them now, Dad in trousers, tee shirt and a hat and Mom in a housedress, lawn mower in one hand, and dishtowel in the other. It was the time for fixing things. A curtain rod, the kitchen radio, screen door, the oven door, the hem in a dress. Things we keep. It was a way of life, and sometimes it made me crazy. All that re-fixing, eating, renewing. I wanted just once to be wasteful. Waste meant affluence. Throwing things away meant you knew there'd always be more.

“But then my mother died, and on that clear summer's night, in the warmth of the hospital room, I was struck with the pain of learning that sometimes there isn't any more. Sometimes, what we care about most gets all used up and goes away... never to return. So... while we have it... it's best we love it.... and care for it... and fix it when it's broken... and heal it when it's sick.

“This is true, for marriage... and old cars... and children with bad report cards... and dogs with bad hips... and aging parents... and grandparents. We keep them because they are worth it, because we are worth it. Some things we keep. Like a best friend that moved away or a classmate we grew up with. There are just some things that make life important, like people we know who are special... and so, we keep them close! I received this from someone who thinks I am a 'keeper', so I've sent it to the people I think of in the same way.

“Now it's your turn to send this to those people that are "keepers" in your life. Good friends are like stars. You don't always see them, but you know they are always there. Keep them close!”

TEN THINGS GOD WON'T ASK ON THAT DAY.

1... God won't ask what kind of car you drove. He'll ask how many people you drove that didn't have transportation.
2... God won't ask the square footage of your house; He'll ask how many people you welcomed into your home.
3... God won't ask about the clothes you had in your closet, He'll ask how many you helped to clothe.
4... God won't ask what your highest salary was. He'll ask if you compromised your character to obtain it.
5... God won't ask what your job title was. He'll ask if you performed your job to the best of our ability.
6... God won't ask how many friends you had. He'll ask how many people to whom you were a friend.
7... God won't ask in what neighborhood you lived; He'll ask how you treated your neighbors.
8... God won't ask about the color of your skin, He'll ask about the content of your character.
9... God won't ask why it took you so long to seek Salvation. He'll lovingly take you to your mansion in heaven, and not to the gates of Hell.
10... God won't have to ask how many people you forwarded this to; He already knows your decision.

And remember, the next time you see a penny, maybe it’s God’s way of telling you, “He who is faithful…realizes value, no matter how small.” If you won’t pick up the penny, maybe you don’t deserve the dollars pennies make.

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