Well, crap … I didn’t win the Powerball.

I don’t often play the lottery, but I like to buy a few tickets when the jackpots get really big.

And before all of you annoying “Lottery = Stupidity Tax” killjoys get fired up, give me a word in my defense: I completely get the fact that I’m not going to win. The odds are simply too long. For me, the main attraction is fantasy: “What would I do if …?” Thinking about stuff like that is just … well, fun. What’s so wrong about that?

But then the numbers are drawn and reality sets in.

Here’s what’s cool, though: Post-lottery life doesn’t just go on — it usually rocks.

Think about it:

• I’m married to the smartest, most beautiful, most talented, most flat-out freakin’ awesome woman in the entire world — as of today, in fact, we’ve been happily married for 15 years, and we both feel amazingly lucky.
• We have a gorgeous 10-year-old daughter who’s pretty good most of time … which is a nice way of saying she hasn’t killed us yet.
• I have a job I love, working for people I adore, and our members are holding this nation’s financial core together with their insight and business acumen.

See where I’m going here?

Life, for the most part, is really, really good.

Enjoy it.

I should have written this on Thanksgiving, but what the heck: Better late than never, right?

If we look closely, we’ll all find things that we’re thankful for. An extra $580 million isn’t going to change that.

As the holidays roll into town, here’s my point: Be careful what you wish for.

You might already have it.