I can't remember the last time I saw one, but I know I never really thought twice about them when I did.
Today, this novelty tray reading, " Give a Penny, Take a Penny" seems to be extinct.
I'm not really that bothered by it; but it sure came in handy those rare chances you needed three pennies and the cashier was already counting back ninety seven cents to weigh down your pocket.
But, to step back from mourning the loss of this helpful penny caddy, I can't help but see it as a much larger picture.
Maybe our penny trays went extinct because they were always empty. While it may be unfair to assume, how often did we only notice the tray when we needed those spare pennies, and ignore it the times that we could have given to it.
Givers and takers; whether we like it or not, we tend to be one or the other. A balance is possible, but I think it's our nature to find comfort in one or the other.
It's a harmonious relationship; if there were no takers, who would the givers be giving to?
Yet, it seems to culminate unnecessary projections of needs and wants, on both sides. Givers always want to give more, and it seems to just feed the appetite of takers. Does that make both sides selfish?
There's a satisfaction to both, but is one better than the other? Is one worse than the other?
Can we be a giver and learn to draw our line in the sand where we can stand safely behind and know our limit?
Or will we just be as used up and empty as the penny caddies?
Regardless of the answer, I still feel good giving away my pennies.
It's enough to make you smile to think some one might need those, and they were mine even for just a second.
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