An Embarrassment of Riches

You may or may not recall that two years ago, we suffered through Bud's serious disappointment at not winning anything at the school's annual holiday Snowflake Bingo night.  It was such a struggle of a night that both Mama and I were relieved when we didn't go last year!  We even gave them a few pep talks about enjoying the game and not just the winning, finding joy in others' joy (Buddhist mudita), etc. etc.

But tonight made up for the night two years ago.   More than made up for it.  Almost embarrassingly so.

Mama won the very first game of Bingo but had me shout it out as Bud retrieved the prize, which was a gift certificate for doughnuts.

A few games later, Sis actually won.  And got a gift certificate for sandwiches.

This was good.  One win for each, even if Bud didn't really win.  Besides, in the end, it's all luck and chance, right?   Mommy Goose's husband, though, was teasing me about it all being fixed.  Double trouble, I said.

After an intermission for baked goods, we returned to bingo.  And Bud won, on his own this time, picking up a gift certificate for bowling.  Mama was ready for us to go home; we'd had fun and won.  We didn't need any more prizes; Mama wondered aloud if we should give some of them back so others could win.  I didn't think that would work because it was all quite organized and I didn't want to interrupt or make a fuss.  We weren't even sitting with anyone we knew to share with; I would've given doughnuts or sandwiches away to a disappointed kiddo because I know exactly how that feels.  Later, when people needed more cards and they passed out more to everyone, we actually just divvied ours up between us so that only the kids were playing, not all four of us.

But, granted,we did keep playing.

Then, during the raffle, Sis's name was called.  And she got a little art booklet.  We clapped and smiled but were ready to hide.  It was just too much.

When Bud and I left the cafeteria just as someone called "Bingo," I heard someone say, "Not them again!"

No, not that time.

But on the second to last game for the grand prizes, this one for four hockey tickets, I leaned over and noticed that Bud just needed one more, "G-50," I think it was.  And as I said as much to him, incredulously, the exact number was called.  He'd won.  Again.  A grand prize.  Hockey tickets.

We wouldn't even let the kids play the last card!  Our gift bags overfloweth.

And we laughed all the way home about buying lottery tickets or heading upstate to the casinos!

With or without the winning (though, I'll be the first to admit that winning makes for a much better evening!), it was a great night, thanks to all of our PTA people and the teachers and staff from school.  They're our real win!