Ten Dollars Never Looked So Good. It's a two-for!

My nine and seven year old kids and I collect coins. Not intentionally, but we always seem to wind up with several jars of loose coins. As we were cleaning up today, we decided to cash them in. My son had one jar and it totalled up to $33.64. To a nine year old, this is a huge haul, $33.64, that ranks up there with winning the lottery.

When he got his cash, he took his $33.64 and wouldn't let anyone touch it. When we got in the car, he started looking at his money, "Oh my gosh!" he yelled. "Mom, this is my first ten!" he said as he held up a ten dollar bill. He was smiling ear to ear.

Hit Pause. Let me pause for a second and explain about my son. My son loves money. He loves to count it. He loves to organize it. He loves to just have it. He studies every penny, nickel, and quarter, and he wants to know where and when they were made. We both collect the state quarters and he loves going to coin shops to buy older coins, but nothing was as exciting as getting his first ten dollar bill.

Ok, unpause, hit play...His sister, who was sitting in the back seat of the car with him, was also amazed and she wanted to check it out. "Can I see it? Pleeeeaassseee? Please can I see it? Can I hold it? I won't break it. Pleeeeeaaaasssee? Mom! He won't let me hold his ten dollars! Mom!" Boy, he struck gold. Not only did he have his first ten dollar bill, but he had something his sister didn't and wouldn't and couldn't have-his ten dollar bill. That is a two-for if I ever saw one.

I was laughing to myself as ten dollars never seemed very exciting to me, but I guess when you are nine years old and it is your first ten dollar bill, it is.

I looked in my wallet and saw that I had two ten dollar bills. Excited? Naw. But hey, I am not nine. But, now that I think about it, if it only had one more zero, maybe two, I might start to feel some of his happiness...


On another note, today would have been my mom's birthday so happy birthday to ya mom!

(c) 2007 Cindy Breninger All Rights Reserved.