Hidden Treasure

Hidden Treasure-

It was an ordinary morning.  We were headed for the coast but had to make a stop at the grocery store.  I needed to replace my Nexium and purchase my morning drink from Starbucks.  This ordinary morning was about to be anything but.

I ordered my drink and went in search of my medicine. Found it toward the back of the store.  Selected a box with the most pills and headed back to pay for my purchases.  The barista at Starbucks had my drink ready.  With purchases in hand, I joined my husband for a trip to the coast.

Weather reports indicated that the coast was going to be sunny and warm.  We love  taking long walks beside the incoming tide.  So peaceful and restful.  Gives the mind time to unwind from all that clutters it.

I was the driver so I handed my med to my husband to open and dispense.  Imagine my surprise when he laughed out loud.  When he opened the box of Nexium, laying on top of the bottles was a $100 bill. He said it was probably fake.  But as he examined it closer, he felt sure it was real.  We put it in the tray between the seats and continued on our journey.  However, the question remained.  Was it real?

We had lunch at our favorite restaurant and then took a five mile hike along the coast.  It was beyond beautiful.  It was perfect.  Before we started our journey back to our vacation condo, we visited several other beaches just enjoying the views.

Today I revisited the grocery store and asked the clerk to check the bill.  I wanted to make sure it was real.  Yep!  It is the real deal.  She said I had received the bill from "Benny."  I asked who Benny is, and she told me this story.

A couple of years ago $100 bills began appearing in grocery items quite randomly.  People would make a purchase and find the bill either inside a box or tucked into produce.  No one knew when this magic would happened.  Nor did they know who or where.  He became known as Benny because he always signed that name somewhere on the bill.  When I told her where I found the money, her response was I had received a Benny. He has become famous for his act of generosity.  And I found one of his gifts in my Nexium box.

Imagine the fun he has deciding where to hide his gifts.  He must be so full of glee that he can hardly contain himself.  To know that he can pull this off amid all the activity and people in grocery stores.  Quite the feat.  Bet his smile is as wide as an ocean-inside.  He would look too guilty if he gave his goodness away with a smile!

As you can see, an ordinary day became quite extraordinary with a simple purchase.  Just like all the rest who have received his generous gift, I would love to thank him. But, I have a suspicion he doesn't want to be thanked.  He simply wants to brighten the day of the one who finds his hidden treasure.