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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