I  HATE  CHOICES, 

I  LOVE  CHOICES 

Once upon a time there were twins: Penny and Dollar.

Yes,  that’s what their parents named them: Penny and Dollar.

Yes, that was the names these twins were baptized with: Penny and Dollar.

A girl named Penny and a boy named Dollar.

They were wondering if the priest would say at the time of their baptism: “Why don’t you pick saints names?” 

“Nope”, the priest said, “It’s your choice”  - and after he heard the reason for the names - he said, “Great Choices.”

Penny was named after her great grandmother - Penelope - better known as Penny all through her life.   She was so excited that her grandkids chose to name their baby girl after her. Wow. What an honor. All her life she wondered if anyone would ever chose to call their kid Penelope. Well, they didn’t. Then named her Penny - not Penelope - a name she never liked - but Penny a name she always loved.

Now what name would they give Penny’s twin brother?

Surprise, they chose Dollar. Yes, Dollar - a very unique name, if there ever was a unique name.  It was Penny’s husband’s nick name. His real name was Bill - which became in time and life, “Dollar” - as in Dollar Bill - and then shortened to just “Dollar”.

When Penelope and Bill walked into a family gathering everyone loved calling them Penny and Dollar  - the richest people in the whole wide world.

And at every family celebration, every birthday party, ever Thanksgiving, they loved walking into the house - and as first order of business they would give every kid and every adult - present - a present of a penny - “A penny from Penny” as she loved to say - and always a shiny penny at that - every time - and a brand new dollar bill - crisp and clean -  from Dollar -every time.

Everyone loved it - and got used to it - lining up in the living room - all in a straight line - receiving there crisp dollar bill and their bright shiny penny from Penny and Dollar.

Not bad. Great idea. Unique family tradition - and unique family story: great.

Now in time everyone got used to the twins names - Penny’s name never needed at explanation to others and especially to teachers in school. But Dollar’s name being Dollar - now that took time getting used to - and the explanation about his great grandfather - Dollar Bill - usually just called, “Dollar.”

But a name is a name. Personality is what counts.

What kind of kids, what kind of persons were Dollar and Penny?

Well, like most people, you have to know them - you’d have to be with them - to get to know them.

Let me put it this way.

Penny loved choices. Dollar hated choices.

Penny became a smile.  Dollar became a whine.

Penny was a happy face. Dollar was an unhappy face.

Every time they went to Burger King or Wendy’s or McDonalds, when Penny saw the list - the choices - the menu - she loved studying the menu above the counter where you made your order - the options - the possibilities - and then with a great smile on her face - she would announce her choice and always finish with the sentence, “I love choices.”

Every time they went to Friendlies or Dunkin Donuts or Burger King, Dollar hated it - and would often say with a whine, “I hate choices.”

He didn’t mind it when people made the choice for him - even when there was a dollar special.

So Dollar became kind of narrow in his outlook - the way he saw and the way he did life; while Penny became quite open for more and more possibilities and much more happiness in life.

Penny loved life - especially since there were so many choices - so many colors, so many TV programs, friends, sports, musical instruments, what to do on Saturdays.

Penny loved it that she was in a sister-brother twinship - as opposed to a sister-sister twinship. She didn’t have to be like a couple of sisters who were twins in her school - both always wearing the same outfit.  Ugh, she would say,  “I love choices.”

So Penny became good news - a smile - while Dollar became sad news - a whine.

Why? Who knows?

Who knows why we become whom we become and how we are?

A little baby in a baby seat in a car doesn’t think to himself or herself, “I’m going to become a whine, an unhappy person all my life - or I’m going to be a happy baby.

Nope we don’t know how all this happens. It’s one of the mysteries of life.

Why did Adam and Eve become the way Adam and Eve became?

Why did Adam and Eve eat the forbidden fruit?

The Bible gives some reasons - for example. to be like God - at least that was what the devil, that snake in the grass, told Eve.

And why did Adam eat the forbidden fruit? We’ll never know that either - but we know he blamed his wife - because he said she made that choice for him.

But what the Bible tried to tell us is that we have choices - and some choices are not healthy - and some choices are.

And at some point - we have be more like Penny - discover choices - make good ones - and avoid choosing bad ones.

Now when Penny and Dollar studied this stuff in religion class, Penny got it and her twin brother Dollar didn’t.

Dollar chose not to think - just to memorize the answers.

His sister Penny tried to tell him the reasons for things - that it’s great to have choices  - and to resist the temptation to be lazy….  She often said to her brother, “Hey Dollar, think. It’s great that we can choose - not who our parents are - not that we’re twins - not what name we got - but in time we can choose to try to laugh and smile and make life nice and sweet for each other - and see the beauty of all the possibilities we all have every day.

Penny told Dollar, “I know you hate blueberry pie, but grandma loves making blueberry pie, so choose to eat it - ask to have it smothered with peach ice cream, I’ve noticed that’s your favorite - even though you say you have no favorites. So choose to make grandma’s day by eating her blueberry pie.”

It took Dollar longer than it had to take, but slowly he got it.

He got it because he chose to listen to his sister. He got it because he chose to change - but slowly. He got it because he realized he had the power over some things in life - not all - but some - and those choices can help a person to change from being a whine to becoming a smile. Amen.

O O O O O O O

[This was a story I wrote last night for our Kids' Mass this morning at 8 AM.  The theme was "Choices' - as chosen by the 4th Grade. It's the First Sunday of Lent - Year A].