Good Luck!

Now that we're moving back to NY, I've been hearing a lot of this.

For a long time, I've fought the notion of luck. I like to think luck has nothing to do with it. Hard work, sure. Determination. Definitely. But luck? That's just wishful thinking.

Mama Hom is big on luck and it is in her honor that we have named this blog. It's traditional in Chinese culture to hand out "lysee," red envelopes filled with money and given out for special occasions (birthdays, New Years) and sometimes, just for the hell of it. For good luck.

Over the course of 34 years, I've received countless lucky envelopes, some filled with a dollar, some filled with hundreds of dollars. But it is only recently that I've been getting envelopes from my mom with auspicious phrases handwritten on them. The messages are written in Chinese characters, which, unfortunately I can't read. But my Mom goes through the trouble of translating them for me. It is in these heartfelt messages that the true luck resides.

Dear Lisa Daughter:
Good Luckly to you.
Peace to Everybody.
And Good Health always
Love You Whole Family

And so I've softened my view of luck a lot lately. It's not just wishful thinking. In fact, as the saying goes, luck is the residue of skill. So to be on the safe side, I've kept those lucky envelopes and I'll be taking them back with us to New York. Just in case.