Red and Yellow, Black and White...

A generic picture I found online to convey this memory

When I was little, there was a weekly event at church that I eagerly anticipated.  It was called The Penny Parade.  Every Sunday morning, after Sunday School class and before dismissal, all the children would gather into the sanctuary for offering, the choir and special singing, and The Penny Parade.  Two very special children were chosen to stand in the front of the church to hold the special golden offering pans.  The organ would begin playing a song like Jesus Loves the Little Children.  At that cue, all the children of the world would march up to the front with hands full of loose change.  You dumped it into the offering pan with a huge smile on your face.  Then you ran back to your parents, so proud of your contribution.

It was a great activity.  It taught the children how to give cheerfully and made them feel that even their little bit of money was important.

This afternoon, the memories of Penny Parade were brought to mind.  I was helping Baby Girl clean up her blocks.  I held the bucket for her and started singing an old Penny Parade song.  It was a tactic my mom used to get us to clean up our toys.  One of us would hold the bucket/box/container while the other kid(s) would sing and pick up the toys.  It made clean up time more fun when you pretended you were repeatedly tossing pennies in the golden pan.  Baby Girl, however, did not know that the singing of that song was a signal to start cleaning up.  But I enjoyed the memory anyway.

I am a person who welcomes change, but The Penny Parade is one tradition I would excitedly bring back.  If I was in charge.