Martha was dying, and it was time to get rid of her. The idea saddened me – my friend and I had been through a lot together. But I had to face reality – the old girl was costing me too much money, and it was time to let her go in peace.
Martha was an aquamarine 2002 Honda CRV that I’d bought used from a friend over a decade ago. She had served me well, taking me numerous times to Cleveland, Buffalo and Lily Dale, and other places too numerous to mention. But since January, I’ve had to replace more parts than what you’d find in a Home Hardware store. And when the air conditioning gave out last month, I knew it was time for my geriatric vehicle to go to that great parking lot in the sky.
Buying a new car can be a nerve-wracking experience, especially for a woman. And, not having the resources of King Midas, I knew I’d have to radically adjust my finances to afford the kind of payments I hadn’t had to make since 2008. Thankfully, there’s someone in the family who used to sell cars and gave me wonderful advice. My husband tried to he helpful, but the only thing he knows about cars is where to put the gas in.
So I did my homework, looking up automotive facts and figures on the Consumer Reports website, and visiting various dealerships to test-drive intriguing models. Because my previous Honda had served me well, I gravitated toward that seller and told a salesman what I was looking for.
Unfortunately, Honda CRVs had been redesigned and were now larger. The salesman recommended the smaller HRV model as being more in tune with my lifestyle. But there were no HRVs available, and nothing in the showroom tickled my fancy enough to try it out on the road. The salesman said he’s put in a request and see what would happen.
Help me, guys, I said to my guides as I drove home in trusty ol’ Martha. Give me a sign. Show me what to do.
Two days later, the Honda rep called, saying someone at the distribution centre had seen a requisition for what I was searching for, and was shipping it straight to the dealership. I made an appointment to stop by for a look-see.
As I headed to the store, my nerves began to fray. What if I didn’t like it? What if I did? Would I feel pressured to take it anyways? How could I afford it?
The salesman showed me the shiny white 2019 HRV new to the lot. I asked my husband what he thought. “I’m a sedan guy,” he said with a shoulders shrug. Big help. A sales rep. introduced himself, saying he would ride along in the back seat while we took it out for a test drive. Sitting behind the wheel, I felt anxiety creeping up my spine. I wanted to go home. Did I really want a new car? Maybe I should think about it…
“Look,” the sales rep. said from the back seat. “I found a dime.”
“No!” I gasped.
He passed it to me. On a car that had only been driven onto a truck, and then off the truck into this Honda lot – a shiny dime on the floor behind the driver’s seat.
“Do you know how significant this is?” I asked, stifling a nervous laugh.
He had no idea about the dime, or why I was suddenly feeling joyous. I quickly realized he’d probably think I was off my rocker if I started explaining apports – things spirit will materialize to let us know they’re with us. How many of you have found feathers when no birds are around, or dimes in places you never expected? Think of the expression pennies from heaven – well, Canada doesn’t make pennies any more and nickels are heavier and tougher to materialize. So we get dimes.
I felt instantly better, and we took the HRV out for a spin. It handled beautifully, though the space-age dashboard was more complicated that what I was used to. When we returned to the lot, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the car.
After returning to the dealership, I went to the bathroom to wash up. I placed the dime in the palm of my hand and thought I should give it to the sales rep, as he was the one who found it. No, I heard spirit in my head, it’s meant for you. This person is someone you can trust.
I waved a sad goodbye to Martha and said hello to Michael. As Humphrey Bogart said in Casablanca, “I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”
If you have any questions or comments on this subject or on any other spiritual matter, feel free to write me at mail @ carolynmolnar.com. And please visit me again!