By Bonnie Brown
Columnist

So, unless you recently passed through Lebanon, Maine, and purchased a lottery ticket, I don’t suppose you’re celebrating the
$1.35 billion dollar winnings.

Lebanon is just across the New Hampshire border so it could be a “Granite Stater” (the nickname for folks from New Hampshire)
who might be the winner. There’s a lot of speculation as to whether it was a local who won and if that resident will come
forward.

Evidently if you win a lottery, it is recommended that you assemble a team to help you manage your fortune. Think an
accountant, a lawyer, and a financial advisor. Don’t even trust your relatives.

I read a story where the lottery winner’s brother put a hit out on his wealthy relative in an attempt to get the treasure for himself
by having his brother murdered. Can you imagine? Who can you trust?

There are many stories about coworkers pooling their money to purchase multiple lottery tickets and when one of their tickets
had the winning numbers, there has been such skullduggery you can’t imagine. A man hid from his coworkers that their ticket
purchased with combined monies claimed the winnings, quit his job claiming he needed foot surgery.

After coming clean to one of his former coworkers, he was sued, and the court forced him to split the winnings. And one of the
recurring recommendations is to not quit your job right away.

I think we all dream of what we would do if we won the lottery. I think I would be very generous dividing my winnings with my
children, grandchildren, and family members. I’d love to donate to my favorite charities. How would you choose to divvy up your
winnings? Would you just quit your job, buy a luxurious house and automobile? Take extravagant trips? Invest in businesses
with the hope of expanding your fortune?

Yet, if we stop to think about it, while we likely won’t win a lottery, I can honestly say that I feel as if I have won the most
important lottery of all.

I have a kind, loving, devoted husband, two sons of whom I am very proud, daughters-in-law for whom I am most grateful and
love as my own, grandchildren that give me such great happiness, loving family members for whom I am so thankful, and a
comfortable life. What more could I wish for?

It is said that to be generally happy requires three things: structure, purpose, and community.

Structure is the way you go about your day; purpose is why you get up in the morning; and community is your tribe, your friends,
your circle. If even one of these is missing or out of balance with the others, you stand very little chance of being reasonably
happy.

Winning the lottery likely will greatly alter your structure, purpose, and community. Be careful what you wish for.