By Kathleen Federici, MEd

With the pandemic still among us, it may be difficult for us to think about good luck. In my family, we try to make the most out of the holidays of the month. I use “holidays” loosely during some months, basically as a potentially fun escape from the ordinary. March is typically known for St. Patrick’s Day, four-leaf clovers, leprechauns, and good luck. The leprechaun story says capturing these small creatures will secure a wee bit of luck in addition to three wishes.

During pre-COVID times, my daughter was in Irish dance classes; this will be her second canceled St. Patrick’s Day parade. It is difficult for her to think of good luck when she has been looking forward to dancing in the Wilmington, Del., parade that has now been canceled for the second year in a row. It is a life lesson to turn these setbacks around and try to create your own good luck. For example, I explain to her that she can dance for the neighbors or family members outside if she wants to dance in full costume.

We show our resiliency by trying to work through disappointment and make our own fun and good luck. Our friend from Scotland bought us a gratitude jar and every night we place a small piece of paper in that jar on which we’ve written what we were grateful for that day. On the weekends, I ask the kids what they want to do or accomplish over the weekend and we try to make those goals happen. The goal could be as simple as play a board game, watch WandaVision, go skiing, or go on a hike. Unfortunately, their goal never is to clean their rooms, which results in bad luck for me.

Tennessee Williams put it nicely when he said, “Luck is believing you’re lucky.” Having faith that you are a lucky person actually makes you more likely to notice opportunities and be in a position to take advantage of them. Thomas Jefferson said, “I am a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it.”

So, during this March month, I hope we all can take a moment to create our own good luck. You deserve it! And if you happen to catch a leprechaun, well, that’s an extra boost of luck–have fun with your wishes!

Kathleen Federici, MEd, is IPMI’s director of professional development.