Great Karma
My View - Wednesday 11th December 2019 

I had some great Karma recently. I saw a post from a Facebook friend asking for gift donations for people who might not have something to open on Christmas Day. I followed the link to the online wish-list and as I was feeling flush, picked out some prezzies and felt the warm glow of giving. 

Two weeks later, I kid you not, I won a voucher for that very same wish-list website. I’d unintentionally entered a competition, way back in August, after hiring some bikes in France. The customer service from the bike team had been so good, that I’d sent them a quick 'thank you' message, attaching a photo of my daughters pedaling up a picturesque street. They replied, saying my snap had been automatically entered into their 'Bikes in Action' draw. 

So after a tense four-month wait (okay, I’d forgotten all about it) the congratulatory email drifted into my inbox with a 50 euro token attached. I was thrilled. However, my winnings have caused a bit of a hoo-ha on the home front because nobody in my family thinks I should have the prize. 

My husband believes that because he took the picture, the voucher should really belong to him. The teenagers claim that due to them being featured in the photo, they should split it. But I paid for the bike hire and sent the photo in. And my previous good deed should surely put me top of the tree. 

So as not to appear too greedy though, I half-heartedly suggested splitting it four ways. That idea was met with a resounding no. Then I floated the concept of choosing one thing together – like a family game or some new Christmas decorations. Also no. Eventually, everyone lost interest and drifted back to their ipads.  

Except me. That winning ticket wouldn’t leave my mind. I’d already decided that nobody else in my household was having it, but who should? My conscience was calling me to pay it forward by choosing more presents for those less fortunate. That would be the right and festive thing to do. But I really wanted a new laundry basket.  

I logged on and decided to leave it to fate. I thought somehow, providence would point me in the right direction. I was either a really kind human being or not. And it turns out I’m not. I bought a set of steak knives, four pairs of socks, a luxury potato peeler and a flexi-tub for the laundry. I’ve got 10p left of the voucher and all my karma is cancelled. 

But as the parcels piled up at my door, the joy of opening each one shrank and disappointment in myself grew. Much as I love my peeler, I can’t shake the image of all those people without gifts on Christmas Day. So I’ve decided to ease my guilt. I’m going to log back on and right the wrong. And I’m definitely not going to get distracted by the matching apple corer. Definitely, probably not.  

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If you would also like some good karma, cut & paste the link below into your browser:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/17M6VQU7Z45DI?ref_=wl_share&fbclid=IwAR2VN3NFKiRoZ63k8nS09rNYCPpz30XrbgA8vWW6SyAPFQ_GsvIO7GuVW7k
 
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