On my wedding day (many moons ago) I considered myself one of the luckiest women alive. Then the days my children were born showed me that I was even luckier because I was blessed with two beautiful children. Most parents know nothing in the world can exceed the love and bond that one feels for his or her child. (I say most because my parents never shared this universal feeling toward their children.) I continued to consider myself lucky through the years, even though we as a family suffered through chronic illnesses and the lost of some of our loved ones.

I no longer believe in luck—good or bad. People make choices and have to live with the consequences. Through my life's journey, I have discovered that some people have certain advantages that allow them to escape the worst consequences of their bad decisions, but I wouldn’t call that luck. If I did, I would have to wonder why good luck and bad had not been distributed more evenhandedly, and if I dwelled on that it would be the quickest route to depression and bitterness.