Have you heard about the Nova Scotia couple who won eleven million dollars in the lottery this past July, then gave every penny away? The United Church has always opposed buying lottery tickets, so of course our folk go ahead anyway. Many individuals have confessed their guilty pleasure and assured me that if they ever win they will give a bundle to the church.
Well, Allen and Violet Large did just that, giving away just over eleven million. They realized that the win was really a headache and that they were comfortable enough before the windfall. And Violet's cancer made them realize that what is important is each other.
They took care of family first and then began delivering donations to the two pages’ worth of groups they had decided on, including the local fire department, churches, cemeteries, the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, hospitals in Truro and Halifax, where Violet underwent her cancer treatment, and organizations that fight cancer, Alzheimer’s and diabetes. The list is lengthy.
I was touched by their generosity and by their reasoning. Money may not buy personal happiness but giving it away can do a world of good.
Do you think you would be generous if you hit the jackpot? Do you find it heartwarming to hear about these folk? Do you wish you were related?
If I think about winning the lottery my first thought is who I would share the money with (perhaps there's a little bit of "if I want to share it then maybe I will win it")
ReplyDeleteOf course the United Church is within the top 5!! I find the story heartwarming but I find the picture that you posted the most heartwarming of all. It IS worth a thousand words. It is a love story for sure.
I probably am related.
This, I could deal with (unlike your prior posting about the nun who gave everything away.)
ReplyDeleteAfter securing my close friends and family for the long haul, St. Paul's, the CCFF and my school would be getting massive donations **. I think that that kind of giving would be just the best example of generosity and character that I could give my classes.
** Of course, the gifts would require each recipient to commission a large portrait of myself to hang in their respective lobbies ... either that or a monument in the style of Nelson's in Trafalger Square, only smaller. Wouldn't want people to get the wrong idea, or anything.
Like Lynn, the picture caught my attention as I brought the paper in this AM and brought a smile to my heart (and my next thought was I bet when I get to today's blog David will be asking us what we'd do with our miilions)
ReplyDeleteWhen I was working for the bank we had a lovely old pair that lived in an apartment down the way that won several million. They arrived humbly at the bank the morning the bank manager was going to drive them down to Toronto to collect their winnings. She wore a vintage, canary yellow polyester pant suit and he, his work pants and plaid shirt. They had no kids and were overwhelmed by their win. Their one dream, "to buy a Mercury Cougar" and then nieces and nephews, hospitals and other charities benefitted. I have thought of them often over the years. They were contented before their winnings, and seemingly stayed that way . Two other big lottery winnings by clients in that same era eventually led to bankruptcy on their part. I guess too much of the good life and my guess, not too much happiness.
Sure I'd love to win big...it could ease some worries but mostly it would feel really good to be able to help those who really need it.
Just testing.
ReplyDeleteAh you're so right Lynn. Giving it away is a great bargaining chip. Who are we bargaining with? God? The devil? Chances are good that you are related!
ReplyDeleteHow about one statue Ian, say on the scale of the figure of Christ looming over Rio de Janeiro? Go big or go home.
Interesting examples Laura. I have had several parishioners who have won anything from $100,000 to 1.3 million. The church didn't do all that well.
It's all a test Bill!