Some People Have All the Luck: Real People Share Their Lucky Stories

Kaitlin Brito for Reader's Digest

We all love sharing good-luck wishes, but witnessing luck in action is something else entirely. It can be surprising, heartwarming and even life-changing.

That’s why we asked our readers to share their most incredible moments of luck, and their stories did not disappoint. From landing a dream job out of the blue to winning a car—twice!—and receiving unexpected kindness from a neighbor just when it was needed most, these real-life tales will leave you amazed.

So how lucky do you think you are? After reading these stories, you might start seeing luck in a whole new way.

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Double or nothing

I won a free car—twice! The first time, I entered a sweepstakes to win either a grocery shopping spree or a car, and I was thrilled when a company rep called and told me I’d won the car. Years later, my husband and I were looking around at a car dealership when I threw my name into a barrel for a drawing to win a new car. They called on April Fool’s Day, but it was no prank—I’d won again. The heather plant, for which I’m named, symbolizes luck and fortune, and that’s been very true in my life. —Heather Hoffman, Vancleave, Mississippi

Making light

One holiday season, we plugged in our Christmas tree and found that the lights didn’t work. We went to Macy’s that afternoon and found a $200 tree on sale for $100. The clerk told us if we’d arrived before noon, we could’ve gotten it for $25. We were still happy with our 50% discount—but when the clerk scanned the tree, it rang up as $25. We kept that tree for 15 years. I think, sometimes, luck is just how you perceive things. —Evie George, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Good things, good people

Shortly after I bought my first lottery ticket, my sister took her son to California for treatment with a specialist. To her dismay, the specialist insisted on immediate surgery. I requested unpaid leave from work and flew out with my infant niece to join them, then cared for the baby for a month while my nephew recovered. Everything went well, and I was so grateful to be able to be there for my sister and her children. When I got home, I found out I’d hit the lottery. I’d forgotten all about it, but the winnings made up for the wages I lost that month. —Virginia Bruschi, Canonsburg, Pennsylvania

Turning things around

My father, Ward E. Bailey Jr., reported to the draft office during World War II hoping to join the Navy, but he found only the Army recruiting. As he waited at the end of a long line for a branch he didn’t want, his luck suddenly changed—a Navy table opened at the other side of the room, right where he was standing. The line reversed, and he was now first in line to register. —Paul Bailey, Fayetteville, New York

Catching a break

I was working a miserable job in a medical office, answering phones and making appointments all day, every day. I saw an ad for a much more interesting job in criminal justice. I called to see if I could go and apply during my lunch hour, but the place wasn’t open. I was ready to forget about it, but that day only three of our eight doctors were in the office, so our supervisor drew names to see who could leave early. My name was drawn, and I went straight down to the other office and applied. I got the job, with significantly better pay and benefits, and stayed until I retired. —Janet Petru, Victoria, Texas

Moving in and moving mountains

Kaitlin Brito for Reader's Digest

I felt like the unluckiest kid in the world when my school’s new superintendent moved in across the street, especially since I wasn’t a model student. As a high school senior and an aspiring teacher, I struggled to find a college that would accept my subpar grades and finances. But my new neighbor took special interest in me and handed me an application for a work program at College of the Ozarks. He and his family drove me there to visit. I graduated with a teaching degree a few years later. I can’t say any of it would’ve happened without the help of a neighbor and role model. —Glenda Ferguson, Paoli, Indiana

Somebody wished upon a star

As a kid, I was obsessed with the dancing Mouseketeers on The Mickey Mouse Club show. After weeks of pleading, my parents agreed to bring me on a business trip to California, where I knew the Mouseketeers lived. We wouldn’t be able to see the show, they told me, but we could go to Disneyland. Once there, a loudspeaker announced that the Mouseketeers were doing a surprise show, and because of the rain, it was moving to a nearby indoor location. We headed right over, and I sat in the front row. Afterward, my mom said, “Can you believe it? You saw the Mouseketeers!” I answered, “Of course I did. That’s why I came to California.” Truth is, they rarely did shows at Disneyland, and if it hadn’t rained, we would never have known they were there. —Pamela Hertner, Biltmore Lake, North Carolina

Another door opens

One day, while leaving our daughter’s house, my husband stopped at a garage sale. We’d spent months in a small rental apartment while looking for a house to buy. “Too bad this place isn’t for sale. It’s just what I’m looking for,” he said to the homeowner. “It is for sale, starting Monday,” the homeowner replied. My husband called me and told me to head over there right away. I was shocked when I arrived and saw 3 wooded acres, a great country neighborhood and a surprisingly reasonable price. We bought that house the next day. Only when we got the insurance quote did we realize the break we got—the house was underpriced by $40,000. The best part? It’s only six driveways down from our daughter. —Barbara Liposchak, Lordstown, Ohio

A very special delivery

As a family practice resident in Merced, I was delivering a baby. During labor, the umbilical cord prolapsed, which puts the baby at enormous risk. I had just read an article about how to handle that complication, so the next steps were fresh in my mind. We performed an emergency C-section, and both baby and mother were fine. If I hadn’t read about it, literally the day before, I’m not sure how everything would’ve ended. —Robert Bellinoff, El Dorado Hills, California

Getting in on the ground floor

I had landed a new job that would begin when the store opened in a few weeks. A few days later, another local business offered me a job. I didn’t know much about this young upstart company, but I was interested. I still planned to keep my commitment to the original job, but the owner told me to go ahead and take the other job. I did as he advised, then spent 28 years climbing the ladder there. That upstart’s name? Walmart. —Galen Manning, Southwest City, Missouri

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