It is game people play when the idea of winning the lottery comes up. A new house or a new car, a trip to some place they had always wanted to go.
I will admit that in general my winning the lottery would be kind of a waste. I truly do not have grand dreams or desires, other than family, friends and the neighbors. No one would know anything had changed, no one would be driving by the house real slow saying a millionaire must live there!
But one thought that come and it is mainly this time a year. If I had the money there would be such a Christmas for parents and children of those who can not afford gifts!
And yes it is because of a personal story:
Since moving back to Kansas life has not been all that good, low paying jobs and living just below barely getting by. More Christmas then not the two of us have not given a gift of any kind to each other.
So the kids would at least get something.
One of those Christmases, it was another year of tight money and if not for family choosing to have Christmas diner here there would not have been one for us. The kids had only the toys we could afford and those were mainly out of the cheap bin.
When it happened, I was under the kitchen sink. Some how it got clogged and I ended up on Christmas Eve soaking wet and squeezed under the sink taking apart the pipes.
Suddenly there was a knock at the door; I ended up crawling out to be the one answering the door. There on the front pouch were several black plastic trash bags? I looked all over the yard but no one was there and I did not see any cars leaving? To make it even odder, our outside dogs that normally would bark at even leaves blowing by. But they had never made a sound and were just ten feet away on the patio!
I opened one of the bags and there were toys inside, every bag had toys in them. Toys suitable for each child and their age! To this day I have no idea who it was that left those bags on the front pouch.
But if I were to win the lottery, that is what would be happening tonight for every parent who can not afford to make their children’s Christmas bright. And one that they will not be going to school and listening to all their friends bragging about getting the latest toys while they got a dollar doll or cheap plastic car.
And like those parents that Christmas Eve, suddenly the thought of there really is a Santa Clause and perhaps a better world to them that they awoke to that morning.
PrairiePopulistsAndProgressives.net 
Oh, wow. What a story. And it’s a sobering, sad thought that children throughout the U.S. won’t be experiencing Christmas like others will. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. A blessed Christmas to you and your family.
Thank you for sharing tstb. I’m glad you and yours had that Christmas, but you have everything that is much more important every Christmas. You have humility, love, compassion, plus you’re funny and fun. I think your kids got something much more valuable because you and Mrs. tstb are their Dad and Mom for life!
Some have enough money they never think about it, but many wealthy people just have bigger and better — bigger houses with better addresses, furniture that doesn’t wear out but gets replaced, trips, cars that start the first time and never get rattles you can’t find, lots and lots of things.
Are their bills and worries bigger too?
I am positive health, love and happiness aren’t for sale.
I wouldn’t be as good a person as you are if I won the lottery. Not that I stand a chance of winning since I’ve never bought a ticket! 🙂 I’m pretty sure there would be changes to my life that people would notice. I’m not so sure any of the changes would add to my happiness or good will!
Although now that I really think about it — much of what ensures health does take money. Sad.
Watching my grand kids enjoy Christmas is like hitting the lottery for me.