Dear Mom,

It's my turn to pass the coin. Merry Christmas 2021! This year I placed little effort on purchasing material gifts. We're so fortunate; we don't need anything. We're healthy, we have roofs over our heads, and we have love.

I love the concept of this coin because often, we don't articulate out loud how much we care about and admire someone. I appreciate that this platform gives us the ability to do so and memorializes it as the coin travels.

Mom, you're my best friend, biggest supporter, and role model in so many ways. I admire how you live life with a grateful heart. You're kind and don't entertain gossip nor speak negatively about others. You live your life with integrity. You are always willing to lend a helping hand. You care for Grandma as if she were your own mother. You are an excellent partner to dad, displaying patience, grace, and teamwork. You raised Sean and me to be polite, caring, and respectful. Our success personally and professionally is heavily influenced by your leadership.

I know the pandemic has challenged us in ways we never expected. It's affected me professionally, and other events have impacted me personally during this time. I want you to know that although those events require my time, effort, and attention to navigate, I do love and appreciate your support. I don't expect you always to understand my choices or decisions, nor do I expect you to solve my problems.

Please keep telling $20 stories. We wouldn't tease you about your storytelling if we didn't love it. Look, Subway! I will close with this. Every day I become a little bit more like my mother, and I couldn't be prouder. I love you, mom.

Xo, Erin

(Sallie gave this coin back to me as I did give her one on her birthday.)

I am sending this coin on to my lovely daughter, Erin, for her 40th birthday. Erin, you deserve this kindness coin for your inspiration to the "you're such a catch community" as well as for your kindness to your family, friends and humanity in general. No-one is a stranger to you. You have rededicated your life to helping others by sharing your life experiences on a podcast. You are an intelligent, caring, humorous and kind person. You have permission to pass this coin forward to another kind, deserving person. Add your story to this coin's journey and "do good and fly on".
Remember, I will love you always. Mom

This coin is flying to my good friend, Sallie. Sallie is one of the kindest people I know. She has been a good friend ever since we met on the tennis courts in the 1980's. If I ever had an emergency, I know Sallie would be there for me. She is my personal "Uber Driver." We share our thoughts just like sisters, but with no sibling rivalry. We never seem to run out of topics of conversation. We walk at least once weekly and sometimes more. She has made my retirement years truly "golden". I meant to give her this coin on her birthday October 10, but she knows how I am with "senior moments". Sallie, enjoy your butterfly coin and then let it fly either here in Redding to a worthy person or on your next trip. As my dad used to say, "You're a Wonder."