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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Illinois State chapter.

You know those moments in life where you just feel a little brighter? It’s like a ray of sunshine shoots throughout your body and you can’t help but to wear the biggest smile on your face.

Whether you believe in a higher being or science, whatever… you can’t deny that there is some kind of force out there that has the ability to genuinely touch our soul. Something that can take away all of your problems and worries with a single smile. 

I think that when someone you love leaves this earth, they will always be with you. They never truly leave you. They will always be there for every smile, laugh and cry that you have.

When I was a little girl, my mom used to tell me that in Heaven I could dance around with God and eat all the cotton candy and chocolate I wanted to. I truly hope that still happens. But my point is, even though all of our angels might be busy dancing around in Heaven, they like to send us little messages letting us know that we are loved and not alone. 

Susan Drissi is the house mom of Zeta Tau Alpha here at ISU. She goes by Omi to the ladies of ZTA. Omi meaning “mother” in Arabic. She has a beautiful take on what it means when a dime crosses your path. The magic all started on November 27 in 2009 when she first found out she was going to be a grandmother.

“I was very, very close to my own grandmother and I always wished that she would’ve been able to meet my children,” said Omi. “After my son showed me the ultrasound of my first grandbaby, dimes would start showing up in unexpected places. I felt that there was a reason.”

Omi has a special box full of more than 100 dimes that she has picked up and kept. Every time a dime falls in her path, she gets this immaculate feeling, an overwhelming sense of love.

“If I was having a bad day or if I was anxious about something, finding a dime always made me feel better or more content,” explained Omi. “I knew someone was rooting for me or wanting me to have a better day.”

“I was teasing my grandmother this morning because I had a bad day yesterday,” Omi said as she laughed. “I was on my way to work and I spotted a nickel… and then I spotted a penny… and I put them in my hand and looked up to her and said, ‘What that’s all I get?’”

Whenever someone she knows and cares for finds a dime, she goes out and buys a special box for them to keep all of their “angel gifts” in. Every dime she finds she knows that it was meant for her to pick up.

“When I see a dime I never think it’s a coincidence. I found one the other day when I was walking out of Goodwill. I had already walked in why hadn’t I seen it on the way in? At least 20 people had come and gone, why hadn’t they picked it up? I know that it was dropped there for me to find. And that’s the magic of it all.”

After I had sat down and learned about how much dimes meant to Omi and her family, I started finding dimes myself. And it brought the biggest smile to my face. I have a lot of angels up above dancing around and I can’t even describe the feeling of how good it feels to know someone is looking out for you and loves you endlessly. So the next time you see a dime on the ground, stop and think about who might be sending you a wink from up above.

Mia Riddell

Illinois State '20

Mia Riddell is an aspiring magazine journalist at Illinois State University who is passionate about capturing details of people's lives with captivating writing and storytelling. She is currently the Editor-in-Chief of Her Campus ISU. Her interests include reading romance novels, listening to Harry Styles, writing anything and everything, volunteering whenever she can, and spending time with friends and family. Follow along Mia’s college journey and stay tuned for more articles!
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