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‘Cherished family tradition' leads woman to life-changing Maryland lottery win

‘Cherished family tradition' leads woman to life-changing Maryland lottery win

Miami Herald30-05-2025
For a Maryland woman, playing lottery games isn't just a hobby — 'it's a cherished family tradition.'
'I've been playing since I became old enough,' the woman said in a May 30 Maryland Lottery news release. 'Growing up, I remember my mother playing regularly. She was always lucky and used to talk about winning enough one day to retire.'
And now, after scoring a life-changing win, the woman found herself in 'a full circle moment that brought back fond memories of her mom's dreams,' lottery officials said.
To avoid traffic, the Randallstown woman left early for a meeting and made a 'spur-of-the-moment stop at a gas station in Annapolis,' lottery officials said.
She bought some lottery tickets but didn't have any winners, she told lottery officials.
'Then I tried a $20 MONOPOLY ticket and won my money back,' she said in the release. 'I figured my luck was running out, but decided to buy one more.'
The lottery player tried her luck on a $20 Lucky 777 ticket, officials said.
After her meeting wrapped up, the woman said she scratched the ticket's barcode and scanned it using the lottery app on her phone.
She was 'floored,' lottery officials said.
'I saw the word 'winner' pop up, but then I saw the amount. I just froze,' the winner told lottery officials. 'I had to catch my breath.'
The woman said she invited her mother over for dinner 'to share the incredible news.'
'She was speechless, which is rare,' the daughter said.
The woman said she plans to use her winnings to 'plan for retirement and spoil her two beloved dogs,' lottery officials said.
Annapolis is about a 30-mile drive south from Baltimore.
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When People Realized Their Family Wasn't Normal
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Buzz Feed

time7 days ago

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When People Realized Their Family Wasn't Normal

When Reddit user m1ntb3rrycrunchh asked, "What made you realize that there was something 'off' about your family?" I knew the responses would be heartbreaking. Here are the gut-wrenching stories. "I went to a friend's house after school one day, and her mum called us down for dinner. I was astonished that the whole family sat at the table, ate together, chatted, joked, and laughed. They actually seemed to be ENJOYING each other's company. There was no tension, no one was yelling or being sullen, no hint of threat in the air. Just a simple, fun dinner. Apparently, they did that every night! Shocking behavior. I privately thought her family was really weird for that, but once I started making more friends, I began to realize it was MY family that was 'weird.'" 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I realized eventually that normal kids don't have to cook and clean and take care of siblings — that that was actually the parents' job." "It was shocking to realize none of the other six-year-olds were left at home, alone, all day long with just enough food to survive. I didn't realize this when I was six. I realized it somewhere in middle school when I was explaining this to some classmates, and they were all shocked." "When everyone else's home smelled like laundry and food, and my home smelled like alcohol and weed." "When I was 13, I started having to get myself to and from the doctor, though my mom might make an appointment for me. I had a riding accident where I had to go see an OB-GYN after the initial emergency care, and I had to go by myself. It wasn't until I was an adult that I realized that's something most people's moms take them to for the first time, no matter how old their female child is." "When I was at my friend's house, they just grabbed snacks from their pantry. The one at my house was always locked, and we were not allowed to get anything out of it. Things would rot." "When I was around at my best friend's house and her dad happened to be there, he came in to say hello. My best friend said something mildly cheeky to him, and I held my breath and tensed up, waiting for him to kick just laughed and teased her back. I'd have been about seven. It was revelatory and helped me keep my sanity until I could afford to leave home." "When I was crying to my mom about my stepbrother choking me to the point of turning red and some bystander had to pull him off of me, and she just shrugged and asked if I had done something to him. I also told my dad, and he got angry at me." "My college friends called their parents every week, some more often than that. I always dreaded talking to my mother. 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Longtime lottery player ‘lost his breath' after another big win. ‘I'm back again'
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Miami Herald

time17-07-2025

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Longtime lottery player ‘lost his breath' after another big win. ‘I'm back again'

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