If Only I Could Win The Lottery

Well the die has been cast,  the numbers revealed and the 640 million dollars goes to three winners from three different states. Congratulations to each and every one of them!... End of story…Or is it?

If you are anything like me, winning that money has been a topic of conversation for the past week. What would you do if you won the lottery? What would you buy? Would you claim the money right away? Quit your job? Pay off your debts? Buy an island and relocate ASAP?

Personally, I would like a studio for my art, a library room and a closet the size of a bedroom, after I’ve paid off all my debts and those of my family and a few close friends.

And then of course, there’s a yacht and the whole “travel the world” thing…But seriously, after all the material desires have been fulfilled, what would you do with ALL that money?

Well, that has been on my mind as well. Let’s face it, when you die, you can’t take the money with you. Or, as I like to say, “Have you ever seen a luggage rack on a hearse?”

I suppose I could leave it all to my children, though in my perfect post-lottery world, my kids would already have a nice share of it.

So, I come back to the same question, once again, “What would you do with ALL that money?”  And THAT is the question that has lingered in my mind. Those of you who have known me for a bit, know that my first thought is of childhood suffering–children

 in need—Imagine feeding thousands of starving children all over the world, starting a foundation to free them from the chains of poverty through education and a better quality of life? Or how about a foundation for sick children, whose parents can’t afford the medical care that they urgently need? Shelters for the abused? For the homeless? A school to retrain the unemployed?  Funding for the arts, the key to a truly civilized society?

The possibilities are limitless with ALL that money. However… I haven’t won the lottery. And this morning, those possibilities are still on mind. Perhaps the more important question is, “How can you help those in need regardless of your station in life?” And perhaps, “How can you make your life better, happier regardless of the money you do or do not possess?”

I think if we dig deep enough, we would discover that we are more powerful and capable than we give ourselves credit for. For the human heart has a vast capacity for compassion, love and simple kindness. And the soul, a limitless yearning for its higher purpose. So dare to dream, take that step, reach out that hand. We build a house one brick at a time and a life, one heart at a time. And that my friends, has no price tag on it.