Powerball

In a world with relentlessly depressing – and oftentimes disturbing – news, I’m always on the lookout for something positive and, if I’m lucky, something that goes beyond test missiles, and hurricanes and earthquakes, and racism, and gun violence, and sexism, and discrimination, and lack of respect for other cultures, and the religious right, and fake this, and alternative that, and false political promises, and a certain shade of the color orange. I’m just looking for something simple and real and that speaks to me about the important things in life.

This morning I heart a story that spoke to me. Sixty-seven-year-old Judy Finchum of Colorado was on the news this morning because she won a $133 million Powerball jackpot. It wasn’t so much that Judy won the jackpot or that she’s been playing the same exact numbers every week for the last 30 years that spoke to me, it was her 70-year-old husband Mac. While I’m sure Mac is happy that Judy is now going to retire, all he wants of the $133 million is a new set of tires for his ’96 Ford truck. When Judy told him he could have a brand new truck now he said, “I don’t need a new truck, I like my truck. It’s just fine.”

And so, too, Mac, are you.

Thank you Mac Finchum for bringing me a message of simplicity this morning and reminding me of the important things in life. And thank you for putting a smile on my face. To you and Judy, enjoy the money in the best of health.