Coffee Cans & Quarters

My friend once told me a storyAbout a time early in her family’s lifeWhen they were constantly just a little behind financiallyScrounging the couches and asking for extra hours to be able to buy diapers and formulaAfter several years, they’d stabilized, and saved up to buy a houseAs they were movingShe noticed the Maxwell House coffee cans they’d used as door stopsTo keep the breeze moving through the apartmentThose coffee cans were full of changeThat’s what made them heavyAnd there were hundreds of dollars between themMore than enough to have provided what they needed during those years of struggleSo, now she knows to ask:What are the coffee cans?What are the resources I’m overlookingHidden in plain sightThat are in my possession right now?It’s a helpful inquiryAnd gets me thinking outside of the boxI did not find any coffee cans full of money during our moveBut I did find my favorite earrings, lost during our last moveThat’s a winAnd overall, we’re feeling a sense of optimism againWhich might be even more valuable than a can full of quartersWe like our house very muchThe dog loves the yard and seems to be getting brighter every dayWhich was our priorityAnd my husband’s gotten some workWhich is a great relief since we’ve had multiple unexpected expensesBut against a backdrop of reducing overall costsAnd so it isLike the inhale and the exhaleBlessings and challengesSo, drawing from the Chinese Farmer’s wisdomNo need to decide what’s good and what’s badJust that there’s a mixAnd I’m trying to be softer in my experiencing of itSo that I can see my coffee cans for what they areAnd know abundance can be quirkyIn how it makes itself availableTo eyes willing to see things differently This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fallingtenderly.substack.com