Patrick and Lily are an ordinary married couple raising two teenage children. The family lives quite poorly, but they overcome all obstacles together, so everyone feels happy. The only thing they lack is money. Because of this, Patrick buys a lottery ticket every week, hoping that sooner or later he will be lucky. And finally, it happened!
Patrick was an average man working as a security guard in a commercial establishment, while his loving wife, Lily, was part of the maintenance staff of a public school in the city. Although they did not earn much, it was enough to live happily.
Living in poverty pushed Patrick to have hope in gaining unexpected wealth from the lottery sweepstakes. Often, the father of two abused this aspiration by purchasing countless lottery tickets.
Initially, the couple, with their two daughters ages 10 and 12, would schedule a session in front of the television as they await the announcement of the winning combination. But, years passed, and nothing happened.
Lily figured that it was hopeless wishing for such a miracle, so she and her daughter stopped supporting Patrick in his lottery dreams. Nevertheless, Patrick remained unfazed with his wife’s turnaround.
He continued to buy more lottery tickets in the hopes of increasing his chances of victory. However, Lily became concerned with Patrick’s determination, pointing out to her husband that they must spend their funds wisely.
She suggested that it would not hurt for Patrick to use the excess amounts to buy something nice for their daughters. It would, at the very least, bring them joy in their simple life. Still, Patrick turned a blind eye and focused on his goal.
Problems soon came into the picture as Patrick missed out on paying essential bills. In addition, family funds would be misused and were all gambled into the growing number of lottery tickets.
At one point, Patrick loaned money from close friends and relatives to buy lottery tickets. He was very persistent, citing that all of his efforts and sacrifices would eventually be rewarded by the heavens.
True enough, one night, Lily was startled by her husband’s scream from their living space. “Yes, yes, I did it. God heard me,” shouted the proud father. Finally, it was a million dollars to Patrick’s name after all of those lottery tickets.
Their family’s lives changed completely. Suddenly, they were living in a high-end village, enjoying their new modern residence. Lily began spending her days focusing on her hobbies and raising their children.
As for their daughters, they became part of one of the most prestigious private schools. Moreover, they enjoyed the latest gadgets and clothes, making them one of the most popular kids.
Of course, Patrick left some fun for himself. He invested some of the winnings into a stable buy and sell business. On top of that, he decided to reward himself with one of the latest supercars released by Porsche.
Not too long after, Patrick found himself in a speeding accident that took his life. He spent several days in the ICU, struggling to survive. Sadly, he did not make it through the week. Lily was devastated in the middle of all their wealth.
During one quiet evening at the dinner table, one daughter uttered: “I miss Dad.” The other seconded, saying that she would happily give everything they had to have him in their lives once again.
Lily could not put her emotions into words, as she kept quiet while trying to hold all of her tears back. Their wealth meant nothing without her husband’s presence.
What can we learn from this story?
1. One should not gamble everything to win the lottery. Although, in the end, Patrick did win, it was pure luck that played a role. Had he not won, the man could have lost everything.
2. All the wealth in the world won’t be enough to save a life. Health is wealth, as the saying goes.
