Small Story 362.

Small Story 362 The Dollar Miracle" Swamy was overjoyed to receive a call from his grandson Nithin, who had safely reached the US and joined Microsoft in Atlanta. Filled with pride, Swamy called out to his wife, Padma, and shared the wonderful news. Excited, Swamy opened his wallet to take out a special dollar coin he had cherished for decades—one gifted to him by his close friend Shankar. This wasn't just any coin; it was a dollar that bore the blessings of his family deity. Swamy had kept it safe all these years, praying sincerely to it every day, hoping to see his grandson one day earn in dollars, blessed by that very coin. But to his dismay, the coin was missing. Padma, too, was upset. That coin was a symbol of their faith and dreams, especially connected to Nithin's future. Just then, their daughter Lakshmi called from Hyderabad, sharing the same good news—Nithin had called her first to inform about his job. Swamy smiled and explained that Nithin had also called them separately, showing his special affection for his grandparents. Padma felt proud and moved. Yet, Swamy’s mind remained preoccupied with the missing dollar coin. After a while, he took his bath and went to the pooja (prayer) room to offer his thanks. And there, right in front of the deity, was the missing coin! Suddenly, he remembered—three days ago, he had placed the dollar in the pooja room, as it was the "birthday" of the family deity associated with the coin. Overcome with joy, Swamy shouted with happiness. Padma rushed in, and seeing him so thrilled, realized once again how much the spiritual dollar meant to him—far more than the currency kind. They both offered prayers for Nithin’s health, success, and peace in his new life in America—making a future with the very dollars that had once been the focus of their faith. K.Ragavan 8-9-25