Lucky Rocketship Underpants

"The only sure thing about luck is that it will change." - Bret Harte

You've read it here before: I'm remarkably lucky, unusually blessed. (Which raises the question: which is it, lucky or blessed?  Random or metaphysical? That's a subject for a blog post all its own.)

For today, let's call it lucky because, by all objective measurements, that's exactly what I am. To begin with, I'm a white woman living in the United States of America.  Those of us  in the first world must acknowledge the sheer luck of our birth. Even the poor here are rich by other countries' standards. 

For another thing, I'm married to Sequoia. How the hell do I rate?  I dunno, but don't get any ideas ladies. You'll have to pry him out of my cold, dead hands.

I have two sweet, smart, beautiful daughters who are both healthy, happy and productive members of society.  Every parent knows this prayer: "Lord, if something bad has to happen, spare my children and let it happen to me."  Thus far, the good lord has spared me and my kids and that feels like very good luck. (Ssshhh - don't say that too loud, I don't want to attract the attention of the gods.)

A friend of a friend attended the camp out this year.  I told him he was welcome back any time. He said he'd like to come back because, "you guys are cool and you know some really interesting people."  "Yes," I said, "I am lucky in my friends." You can't get much more lucky than that.

Like Joni Mitchell's "Song for Sharon," I have my music and my family and my farm. I have my health. I have the most interesting friends on the planet.  I am a lucky woman in all of the most important ways. But, luck takes many forms.  Sometimes I have to change my perception in order to see something as lucky.

"You never know what worse luck your bad luck has saved you from." - Cormac McCarthy

The last few months, hell the last few years, have been increasingly difficult at work. Recent events raised the difficulty to a new level.  There's no point in going into details; I'm not interested in sowing discord.  Suffice it to say, it has been painful.  But, there is a silver lining to my heartache, a bit of luck embedded in my pain:  it created clarity.  I finally know that it is time to make a change. I don't know how that change will manifest, but I am finally motivated to take concrete steps to make change happen. I'm no longer debating and I'm no longer stuck. I know it's time to go.  That feels like luck; maybe left-handed luck, but luck all the same.

"Now there's a way, and I know that I have to go away. I know I have to go." - Cat Stevens

There have been times when my luck has been readily apparent and ridiculously abundant.  Other times, my luck is disguised as something that looks distinctly unlucky.  It's hard to see luck in pain and injustice, but if they serve to clear my mind and strengthen my resolve, then I am very, very lucky.