Spring has sprung, and green shoots are appearing while tight buds are unfurling. When the sun comes out and the rain stops, I scan the ground for four-leaf clover.
The clover is big and wild now, so it is hard not to notice it growing. Reflexively, I always stop and scan patches for the lucky ones. I wonder why I do this. I know that one tiny leaf connected to a few others cannot actually alter the course of my life. And I don't even know how I picked up this particular superstition, other than perhaps too many bowls of Lucky Charms cereal when I was a kid.
Shortly after I moved into my previous apartment, after being delayed because of work that had remained unfinished and other last-minute problems discovered (like two gas leaks), I found a four-leaf clover in the yard. Finding that clover, however, did not prevent sad things from happening while I lived there -- like my dogs dying (from old age) -- nor from other problems with the space that led me to ultimately have to leave.
If my lucky miracle plant was a bust, why then do I still seek them out? I think it is because I like to be hopeful and optimistic. Not an unreasonable Pollyanna, but I think that if I'm on the look-out for good, I'm more likely to find it.
And, taking things as signs rather than good luck charms has a better track record for me. When I take something as a sign, I can create the story I've attached to the symbol. Luck can happen unbidden. Rather than waiting for luck to passively descend upon us, better to actively create luck and make our own magic come to life.
I won't stop looking for and appreciating signs, though.
Late last year, a dear friend sent me a gift of an amaryllis bulb. The planting directions noted the need for full sun and 70-degree temperatures. Not having a good sunny spot available, I stuck it in a closet thinking I would find someplace to grow the flower. Last weekend, I discovered that the bulb had not only sprouted but had grown a two-foot long stalk and was just beginning to bloom. All this took place in the cool dark with the roots anchored in nothing but air. I e-mailed my friend and told her that I believed she delivered with the plant some loving intent and miracle mojo. I decided that this plant is a symbol of my life right now, which is somewhat topsy-turvy. My roots are growing in air, and it can seem devoid of light. I shouldn't be thriving, but, like my plant, with loving intent, inch-by-inch, even in the dark, I am growing and getting ready to burst into brilliant bloom once again.
And my latest sign? As I was contemplating this post and thinking it foolish to look for four-leaf clover, I stumbled across one. It shriveled up and died too quickly for me to preserve it other than in a snapshot. Nonetheless, I'm a lucky girl.
Do you hunt for four-leaf clover? Do you have any good luck charms? How do you measure luck in your life?
Related Reading:Julia Buckley at Poe's Deadly Daughters: My Elephants: Writers And Good Luck Charms
I'm fairly certain, though, that it is not only I who indulges in good luck charms; ever since I found a four-leaf clover in the grass of my back yard as a little girl, I've connected the notion of the charm to the idea of fate.
Amy Herring at Heavenly Truth: Jupiter in Astrology: Looking Beyond Luck
Luck is defined as something desirable that just happens to a person by chance, out of their control, fated. It is true that where Jupiter lies in our chart might be an area of our life where we might find a sort of guardian angel at work, or where we may be able to narrowly slip out of scrapes more easily than some people. But the things we attribute to luck, good or bad, can often be more attributed to what we said yes or no to, the potential we allowed ourselves to see and hope for, in ourselves and in life's ability to bring good things our way.
BlogHer Member dnlee5: Nurturing the Scientific Mind
I was six years old and the thing that got me hooked was hunting for four-leaf clovers. I spent my summers outside playing in local city parks. My mother would often keep me occupied by assigning me the task of finding four-leaf clovers. I took to the activity like Velcro. I was an ace. I could spot the abnormal clover quicker than most other kids and I could find more. I soon challenged myself further, searching only for clovers with five or more leaves. A seven-lobed clover was the highest I found.
I credit this playful exercise for cultivating my ‘scientific thinking’ abilities. It helped me develop a keen sense of observation and critical evaluation early in life. This ability to find four-leaf clovers or needles in the haystack soon translated to my fondness of word puzzles – word searches, cross-words, Scrabble ®. These analytical skills: observation, scrutiny, break down and synthesis are essential tools in my chosen field of animal behavior research.
Ruthykins at A Hoosier In Nevada: I'm Looking Over a Four-Leaf Clover...
MckMama: a little more on blessings
BlogHer CE Maria Niles hunts for four-leaf clover at PopConsumerImage credit: flickr user cygnus921 used under CC by 2.0 license.
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