I’ve learned a lot from Oprah Winfrey. I value her rock-solid belief in a bountiful universe. I am inspired by her challenge to Live Your Best Life – and I sense that there is a divine hand in her life story. She is the right person for a lot of people at the right time, and God is in all of that somewhere.
She is also a great gift-giver.
So this year, I entered her Favorite Things Sweepstakes Giveaway. Every day for 12 days (think “12 Days of Christmas”) I went online and typed my entry for the chance to win over 70 gifts personally selected by Oprah and others in her network.
With the best of intentions I’ve perused the gifts for weeks, sure that my sister would enjoy Cat Cora’s Ugg Slippers and my neighbor (who has four kids and no income) would enjoy the indulgence of the Egg-Shaped soaps. Another neighbor, who is facing his first Christmas without his wife of 40 years, was going to benefit from some of the food items, and I was going to keep the bags.
I admit that I was going to keep the bags.
Is that the problem? Is that why I didn’t win? I was really looking forward to being the sensational giver that one simply cannot be when one is substitute teaching to supplement unemployment insurance. I was looking forward to being able to make the grand gesture. But I also wanted a little fun for myself.
I didn’t win. That‘s the up and down of it, and I am oddly disappointed. I always knew the odds were nil – surely hundreds of thousands entered. And I am going to throw the open house anyway – it will simply be more of a potluck than an extravaganza. No gift table required.
I don’t really believe in coincidence. I am sure that the twelve winners are exactly who the twelve winners should have been. I just wish that one of them could have been me.
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