Gloria DeLaCruz-Vasquez never considered herself lucky, but a fateful day this month may have changed that.
As DeLaCruz-Vasquez watered the aloe vera in the back yard, she glanced down and saw among a patch of weeds, a rare four-leaf clover.
“I’ve been looking for one since I was 7 or 8,” she said.
Genuine four-leaf clovers come from the trifolium repens, or White Clover variety. Typically the plant is dark green in color and a fourth leaf is usually smaller than the others. Four-leaf clovers are more common among different clover varieties such as Pepperwort and Water Clover, though they aren’t considered to be the mysterious lucky four-leaf clover.
The four-leaf clover has long been said to be a symbol of luck and remains a fascination for many, since it is still a rare find.
St. Patrick’s Day, a celebration of the patron saint of Ireland, is most commonly observed in the United States by wearing green. The shamrock, the registered trademark of Ireland, was often worn as a badge during St. Patrick’s Day, which is celebrated on Wednesday. Irish lore tells of the saint using the three-leaf clover to explain the Trinity – the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.
DeLaCruz-Vasquez, 57, recalled spending much of her time during recess at Clover Elementary School in San Juan trying to find the good luck charm, at the suggestion of the teachers.
The San Juan native, who works with children and pregnant woman for the Department of State Health Services, keeps a wild yard, watering indiscriminantly, so weeds will get a drink and grow tall.
“My husband wanted to have the back yard landscaped,” DeLaCruz-Vasquez said, but she didn’t want to give up the various greenery she has nurtured for years.
Her father, who was a farmer, helped her fill in the edges of her yard with trees and bushes. He passed away two years ago.
“I guess I was trying to find a connection to my father,” DeLaCruz-Vasquez said of her love of gardening.
DeLaCruz-Vasquez said she has never won anything in her life, but with a four-leaf clover in her yard, she’s considering playing the lottery. Her odds of winning may never be better.
Amy Nichol Smith covers features and entertainment for The Monitor. She can be reached at (956) 683-4420.
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