It started with a Facebook post. Someone in a group posted how happy they felt when they found a dime while out walking, and how they believed it was a little “hello” from someone they had lost. I paused, wondering what was so special about finding money—specifically a dime. But something about it stayed with me. I was intrigued.
Searching for My Own Spiritual Connection
I am not quite sure of the sequence of events, which came first, but after my mom passed away, I was quietly searching for my own kind of spiritual connection. I thought about her often but what I missed most was the small, comforting feeling of knowing she was nearby. I wanted signs. I wanted reassurance that she was still with me/us somehow, even if I couldn’t see her. After reading that post, I started noticing dimes more often. Sometimes I’d even catch myself looking for them without realizing it. At first, I brushed it off—someone just dropped some pocket change, right? I started talking about it with my kids. I told them that finding a dime might be a little sign from their grandmother watching over us. Soon enough, they started spotting them too—sometimes in the most unexpected places. One by one, they started appearing. On sidewalks. At the grocery store. While running. In places where no one else seemed to notice.
Signs That Spoke Volumes
I remember my daughter’s face lighting up as she held up a shiny dime she’d just found at the grocery store. She didn’t have to say anything. We both smiled and took it as a sign. I lamented that I wished I had found one. A few steps further into a grocery store I saw something shiny. I thought it might be gum. We looked at each other in disbelief—another dime? It felt like magic. We were overjoyed.
Traveling with a Guardian Angel
One of the most memorable experiences happened during a family trip to the West Coast of Canada. From the moment we checked in at the airport, the dimes started showing up. One at the security check-in. When we say obscure places, this was definitely one of those. It was in the nook and cranny of a folding partition or room divider on the floor right against the wall. Just as we passed security there was another one. I felt like there was a guardian angel watching over us as we made our first big family trip to Calgary, Alberta that involved air travel. (We typically did road trips when they were younger.) A place that was so random was at a pier while waiting for a ferry. Our eldest was sitting down beside a dock piling (vertical supports that anchor the dock) or handrail, I can’t remember exactly. But it was rusty but right beside that was a lone dime that he noticed. It felt like we were being gently guided through the trip, like someone was saying, I’m here. Enjoy your trip and don’t worry about anything. These random finds do feel like little messages of comfort like the time I took our car to get the brakes fixed. The mechanic thought it was unsafe to drive our car to pick up our daughter from school even though it was a short trip so he let me take his car. Low and behold, my daughter spotted one in between the seat track or the seat rails (the sliders that allow you to adjust your seat forward and backwards). It wasn’t even our car and who even sits at the back and drops change that happens to be a dime?
Encouragement When We Needed It Most
Even in tough moments—like during long, exhausting training runs for my half marathons when I was exhausted and wondering why I was pushing myself—I’d spotted one on the sidewalk on one run, randomly on another when I was not struggling, maybe even enjoying a run. A tiny reminder to keep going. That I wasn’t alone. Once, I found one glinting in the sun in a wooded lot amongst the wood chips that formed a path. Unbelievably, I found one stuck onto my AirPod case that I had put into the back pocket of my run shorts one evening when I went for a run at the indoor track. Another random find was when my daughter came with me on an overnight visit to my brother’s place on the eve of my Half Marathon. We had just come back from grabbing dessert at his local grocery store. We took the back entrance and my daughter exclaimed that she wished she found a dime. Then, she spotted one just as we opened the back door in the grass beside the bush. I know it sounds unbelievable—but these moments really happened. My husband found a dime just under a picnic bench in the grass on Centre Island after we completed the Superpower 5K as a family.
What It All Means (At Least to Us)
Over time, I’ve learned that finding dimes can mean different things to different people. Some say it’s a message from a loved one who’s passed. Others see it as a sign of good luck, alignment, or a nudge from the universe that you’re on the right path. Some say the meaning can change depending on whether it’s heads or tails up, how many you find, or even where you find them. But for me—and for my kids—it’s something deeply personal. It’s a connection to my mom. A sign of love that shows up when I need it most. A spiritual hug in the middle of a regular day. My son has found 20 to date and has kept in a small jar as a keepsake. If you’ve ever found a dime and paused to wonder if it meant something more, I want you to know: it can mean something. Maybe it’s just a coin—or maybe, it’s the exact sign you needed, showing up at just the right time.
