Is there such a thing as luck?

A friend of mine posted the question on his Facebook: "Is there such a thing as luck?" He got an amazing range of answers. Until he asked it, I didn't realize that I do indeed believe that some people are more "lucky" than others. That sounds superstitious. Surely this has more to do with my belief in divine destiny. But just thinking about my family makes me feel lucky. I woke up one morning this week in a virtual glow, just thinking about the four children I've been allowed to mother. Every relation I've got shows that I won the family lottery. I only picked one of them and he sought me out, so I guess that makes me lucky there too. I've often said "Why me?" because I have gotten so much of the good stuff in this life when others get so little.

But I also recognize an element of attitude. If you think you are lucky, then you are. I think J. K. Rowling nailed this when she described the Quidditch match when Ron thought he had taken Felix Felicis, a magic luck potion. He saw everything in a positive light and played up to his potential because of it. I realized that in many ways, I get most mornings feeling like I've just had a swig of Felix. I just assume that good things are going to happen to me. Is this because so many good things have already happened to me, or is it because I make my own luck by focusing on the positives?

Now before I leave you with the  idea that I'm some sort of sickening Pollyanna/Little Miss Mary Sunshine combo, I'm not. I am a past master at thinking up the worst case scenario, particularly when it comes to financial decisions. When you look at my personal life earnings, you can understand this. And some days I can look at the dark side of things with the best of them. But I think it's fair to say that if there is such a thing as luck, I've been given tons of it.

I just asked my sweetheart how he felt about the same question. He admitted that although he too believes in divine destiny and answered prayers, he feels lucky too. He feels that things will just work out for him. So there you have it. We're lucky. And just in time for Saint Patrick's day.