The Ticket

1, 2, 7, 20, 21, 27—I held the ticket in my hand thinking this just might be the week. What would I do if I won the lottery? My mind ran wild as I imagined what I would do with it. There were so many possibilities with that much money.



What would I do first? I thought about my father. How nice would it be for him to be able to sit back and relax the in the later years of his life. A trust fund set up to pay all his expenses, like the exorbitant real estate tax he paid every year would be nice. I could see the look of excitement on his face, when he set down in Florida to enjoy the whole season of spring training for the Red Sox. Oh, and I could buy him a box at Fenway so he could attend a game whenever he wanted. The happiness those things would bring him would also bring me a great sense of enjoyment. I rubbed that little pink ticket daydreaming of picking that big check up from the lottery office.



What next? My daughter had certainly struggled in her adult life. She was the single mother to two fantastic boys and they all deserved the best I could give them. College funds for both the boys would certainly be at the top of my list. Amanda was getting married this year and what a wedding she would have. Maybe we could go on the TV show Say Yes to the Dress and she could have her choice of a $10,000 plus gown. A wedding cake 5 tiers tall, flowers everywhere, the options she could have would be endless. Then there was her honeymoon; it wouldn’t have to be a week at a local camp. She and her new husband could go to a tropical island and bask in the sun all week or to Italy and savor the romance that being in Italy offers. I stared at those numbers wishing I could make it a winner by sheer determination.



As altruistic as I would be to others I would certainly spoil myself. I would continue to work, I loved my career. I would cut back the time I worked though. I could picture myself in a shiny red convertible in the summer and a big black SUV in the winter. Why not trade the vacation I took every two years for a vacation every two months? There were so many places Lois and I would love to see. The Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, the Florida Keys, and New Orleans just to name a few. It would all be a reality if those 6 little balls would just fall into the right holes.



In addition to the material things I would spend the money, I would share my good luck with those less fortunate. Spruce Run would receive a substantial donation every year as no woman should have to suffer the pain or indignity of abuse. Those who do need every type of support they can get and my donation could help Spruce Run obtain and keep the resources these victims need. I double crossed my fingers that this would be the week.



Fact was the odds I would ever win less than miniscule. However, the excitement the speculation afforded me each week was well worth the price of a $1.00 ticket.