After living most of my life, or 55 years of it, I have come to recognize myself as a bit of a loser when it comes to games and contests that require luck, and I usually steer clear, especially when money is involved.

Life has a sneaky way of educating us when we least expect it.

But I also consider those who may not be there. Those children who have struggled and continue to do so, who are not a part of the end-of-the year merriment, who did not complete (and may not have started), who did not attend a prom and did not pose in their tux or gown.⁠

This morning, my daughter sent me a Tik Tok of a cool, AirPods-sporting, blond-haired girl with a look of disdain on her face. At the top of the screen, these words are written: School making us believe our worth is determined by a grade. And in the video, the above-mentioned girl, in a deep voice, says, “Now that was a lot of damage.”