Last September, the 13th fell on a Friday. That evening as the sun set, my brother married his true love, exchanging vows in the shallow waters of a mineral lake left by ancient glaciers. It was a day of the best kind of luck for our family, and inspired this series of Lucky 13 stories.

Fellow authors and artists including Julie Eberhart Painter, Jude Johnson, Carol McPhee, Jill Blair, Linda Rettstatt, Ceci Giltenan, Celia Breslin, and the dear late Jane Toombs graciously shared stories of how luck played a role in their writing and their lives. And coming up next month, Audra Middleton describes the luck of the pitch that landed her first book contract.

The series also inspired my blog’s tag line – every day, good luck comes in the strangest of ways. It’s a line from British singer/songwriter/master slide guitarist Chris Rea’s song “God’s Great Banana Skin.” And I believe it’s true. All we have to do is pay attention, and the good luck shows itself.

Today, for example, at the end of a ragged week filled with technical troubles, bumps in the road, and minor setbacks, everywhere I look I see spots of luck.

The early morning sunshine streaming through a window, making a warm spot on the rug for my toes to bask.

A steaming cup of coffee, strong and dark, ready to wake me up to enjoy a Saturday morning with nothing of any importance scheduled.

My pile of to-be-read books tempting me from the bedside table.

Books to write, stories to tell, walks to take, music to listen to, art to create.

Friends to call and meals to enjoy.

And, of course, you, dear readers.

And all the things that will happen today to start a new chain of good luck, working their mysterious ways, traveling paths I can’t even imagine, paths that won’t make themselves visible until they’re in the past.

Every day, good luck comes in the strangest of ways.