If I Had a Million Dollars…

This morning, I was chatting with a coworker about this story of an elderly Florida woman who won a HUGE lottery jackpot.

I just love to hear about old ladies winning huge sums of money, because the part of me that believes that all people have good hearts hopes that she would donate to a favorite charity, her church, and leave every last cent to her kids and grandkids.

Part of me also believes that there are those people out there who would leave 590 million dollars to their shih-tzu, but I’m really hoping she’s not one of them.

That got me thinking… What would I do with that kind of money?

Buy frickin’ sharks with frickin’ laser-beams on their heads, obviously.

But seriously…

I’d give most of it to my family, probably.  And some friends.  And some deserving strangers in anonymous envelopes of cash like some kind of modern-day Robin Hood, but without the thievery part.

I’d donate to my old high school, which has been voted an exemplary school many years in a row, and yet is still suffering from painful budget cuts to the point where teachers’ salaries and benefits are being cut, and they are given $150 per student per year, and told to make due with all necessary textbooks and supplies.  It breaks my heart.

I’d donate to charities, my parents’ church, and of course pay off my bills.

But even then, that would really only scratch the surface of 590 million!  I could give a million dollars to every one of my Facebook friends and still have 100 million leftover!

Can 100 million dollars buy me enough treatments to have a baby?

Perhaps…

It could definitely help me afford adoption, and although I don’t feel it some days, I’m still young enough to try several IVF cycles, should I become able to afford them.

Even after giving millions away to friends, family, strangers, donating to education, church, and charities, and funding a family for the husband and I… I’d still have quite a lot of cash leftover.

A butt-load, to be exact.

What to do…

Oh, I know!

Start my own foundation.  Offer grants to women who can’t afford fertility treatments.  Work with drug companies to secure low-cost or free medications for those who need help.  Create networks of doctors and clinics who agree to donate some of their time and resources for a worthy cause…

I know there are foundations out there doing this.  Maybe I’d donate to them instead.  Maybe I’d quit my job and donate my time and money to a foundation like that…

All I know is that one day, if I’m able to give back, I know where I want to direct my time and energy.

And my money.

For now, though, I don’t have much, and what I do have is going toward water, food, electricity, and fertility drugs.

Maybe one of those charitable foundations would like to give me some funds to proceed… That way, I will have my child and will no longer be spending half my income on medications.

And that way, I can spend that half of my income on lotto tickets.

I’m hatching  a plan here, folks…  😉

So, what would you do with a ginormous lottery windfall?