Hello Old Friend

A little before I had my stroke, I started collecting quarters and putting my separate change in a tin at the bottom of the kitchen pantry. I wasn't saving up for anything in particular, just putting my change away for a rainy day....or a trip to the casino :) The tin in the back of the pantry was from some cookies I had bought in elementary school. As soon as the cookies were done, I started to put change in it. I'm not sure why, but that's what I have been doing for 20 years. Every time it fills up, I wrap it and take it to the bank to my savings or cash it and buy nail polish or something small just for me. I figured quarters should have their own special home at this point so I bought a ceramic owl to house my 25 cents.

My quarter owl became kind of a bribery tactic for my Mother to get me to take my Lovenox. If I shot myself up on the first try, I got a dollar in quarters, second try, 50 cents and so on. Shooting myself in the stomach with the drug was never something I was comfortable with doing and it often ended with me in tears and having to have a pep talk with my stomach and said needle for 5 minutes in order to take the medicine. After I finished my five days of Lovenox, I started to just add quarters to the owl everyday. This came from change after I got a morning bagel when I would go to get my blood checked or after I would go for my block walk to the bakery. The quarter owl slowly filled up and got heavier and heavier but I didn't empty it.

Last night, I decided to empty the owl, who doesn't have a name. He needs a name btw. Any suggestions? I wrapped all my quarters last night laughing to myself. I'm going to start filling him up again but it won't feel like the first time. Can anyone guess how much came out of him? When I told my mother, she couldn't believe it! I almost can't bring myself to cash it. I'm connected to these quarters. Never thought that would come out of my mouth...