Lucky Me!
I. Just. Won. The. Lottery! Oh my goodness, I feel so lucky!
Before you run to your phone and call me to remind me of the depths of our enduring friendship, I should divulge to you that I am now the fortunate finder of a whopping $3. Oh, yes. It was a winning scratch-off ticket that someone had discarded or inadvertently dropped near my car in the parking lot. Clutching my bags and purse, I screwed up my eyes and craned my neck sideways to see if it was a winner before I picked up the wet, muddy little card.
My eyes got big as I stooped to retrieve it, wiping it ever-so-gingerly. You see, I have always said that if I won the lottery it would be a miracle. Because I never buy a ticket. No, not even a $1 scratch-off. Way back in the '80s when the lottery came to Texas, we committed to buying a few chances each week with the strategy that playing regularly would increase our odds. It didn't take long to realize that we would occasionally win a buck or two but that the big jackpots were probably not a reasonable investment. Now, I generally get one ticket a year because my father buys them at Christmas for stocking stuffers. The past few years, I didn't even score a dollar.
So, considering my investment, (nothing), today's pick was a total windfall.
My life to date has been a series of happy events having very little to do with lucky breaks and very much to do with hard work and perseverance. Every once in a while, life would throw some serendipity my way and make it look like luck. I won a fancy-dancy hair cut as a door prize once and enjoyed a fabulous haircut and an accompanying head massage. A fortunate thing for sure, but all it did was raise the bar such that I could no longer be satisfied with a cheap, imprecise 'do. Another time I won a lovely lounge chair painted by a local artist whom I admire (Leigh Yardley, if you're wondering). This win still graces my backyard and makes even the weedy flower beds look smart.
But other than these few-and-far-between bonanzas, the rest has been largely devoid of miraculous strokes of luck. While luck is quite capricious, I find that my blessings are the true win. My children, above all that I have contributed to, remain the top of the heap of my blessings. They are two of the most interesting, kind, and thoughtful people I know. My husband of 30 years is still my best friend. We have weathered many storms but mostly end up dancing in the rain. My family is close-knit and we enjoy spending time together. My friends are gracious and good, and many are practically family. I am healthy and reasonably strong, live in a supportive community and a free country, do work that I enjoy and find rewarding, and have had a life experience that I find gratifying.
Compared to these, today's lottery winning is simply chump change.
Before you run to your phone and call me to remind me of the depths of our enduring friendship, I should divulge to you that I am now the fortunate finder of a whopping $3. Oh, yes. It was a winning scratch-off ticket that someone had discarded or inadvertently dropped near my car in the parking lot. Clutching my bags and purse, I screwed up my eyes and craned my neck sideways to see if it was a winner before I picked up the wet, muddy little card.
My eyes got big as I stooped to retrieve it, wiping it ever-so-gingerly. You see, I have always said that if I won the lottery it would be a miracle. Because I never buy a ticket. No, not even a $1 scratch-off. Way back in the '80s when the lottery came to Texas, we committed to buying a few chances each week with the strategy that playing regularly would increase our odds. It didn't take long to realize that we would occasionally win a buck or two but that the big jackpots were probably not a reasonable investment. Now, I generally get one ticket a year because my father buys them at Christmas for stocking stuffers. The past few years, I didn't even score a dollar.
So, considering my investment, (nothing), today's pick was a total windfall.
My life to date has been a series of happy events having very little to do with lucky breaks and very much to do with hard work and perseverance. Every once in a while, life would throw some serendipity my way and make it look like luck. I won a fancy-dancy hair cut as a door prize once and enjoyed a fabulous haircut and an accompanying head massage. A fortunate thing for sure, but all it did was raise the bar such that I could no longer be satisfied with a cheap, imprecise 'do. Another time I won a lovely lounge chair painted by a local artist whom I admire (Leigh Yardley, if you're wondering). This win still graces my backyard and makes even the weedy flower beds look smart.
But other than these few-and-far-between bonanzas, the rest has been largely devoid of miraculous strokes of luck. While luck is quite capricious, I find that my blessings are the true win. My children, above all that I have contributed to, remain the top of the heap of my blessings. They are two of the most interesting, kind, and thoughtful people I know. My husband of 30 years is still my best friend. We have weathered many storms but mostly end up dancing in the rain. My family is close-knit and we enjoy spending time together. My friends are gracious and good, and many are practically family. I am healthy and reasonably strong, live in a supportive community and a free country, do work that I enjoy and find rewarding, and have had a life experience that I find gratifying.
Compared to these, today's lottery winning is simply chump change.
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