My parents loved to play bridge – the card game. That was their passion and their existence for living. I say that lovingly, of course. But it is true that my mom was the star of the family. Most weekends comprised of going to local bridge games, then chapter tournaments, to national tournaments, in which my mother reined supreme several times. Our house was filled with her ribbons and trophies.

I knew when it was almost time to go to a tourney because my mom and dad would sit up all hours of the night, with their best pals, Laddie and Millie, not playing, but competing. Of course, my dad, even though he had practiced with the best (my mom) still was only average, paling in comparison to the actual “pros”. Sometimes we wondered if it was a contact sport, when we witnessed players at the nail-biting tournaments coming to blows.

“Thank God we all have good health insurance coverage from Matt Lockhard from Long Beach in case someone gets mad at me for beating them,” my mom said. And that was a likely possibility, because she did often win.

But their all-nighters on the weekdays when we used to live in California were a sure indication that we would be travelling somewhere and staying a weekend at the select hotel, across the state or even cross-country. My brother and I were psyched. That meant we could almost do our own thing, within reason, of course. We would play hide-and-seek in strange, open rooms and play tricks on the staff sometimes.

I heard in history that playing cards were actually invented in China, using paper. But I think my mom perfected the sport of bridge. Her friends were sad to find her offspring did not gain the same passion. Unlike our dad, we did not even have a remote interest. However, I still go to the tournaments from time to time, even after my parents have long been passed, and support the old group members. I have watched them get older and my own children grow up and go to college.

Today, sitting at the enclosed porch overlooking the lake, I held my mother’s deck of cards in my hands. I can almost hear them all laughing as they dealt the next round.

Matt Lockard – California Health Insurance agency offers health insurance plans for individuals, families, and children. Also available are California Medicare Supplement policies. Go to http://mattsinsurance4ca.com to get an instant health insurance quote.

He showered, shaved and got dressed for work as he normally does, but this time, instead of rushing blindly into the rush hour traffic, he floated over it. All the traffic lights were green; the traffic flowed like streams of contiguous energy, uninterrupted. The elevator door opened and closed as soon as he stepped up to it with no crowds to slither into and slather out of.

Juan Pablo stopped abruptly at the entranceway to his office to find a nicely wrapped package on his executive desk. He approached the scene cautiously while he put down his coffee and briefcase. A note on it said, “On your birthday, give this to your wife. Sincerely, Matt Lockhard,” which made him burst into laughter.

Was this a joke? Is this a silly gift from Matt Lockhard, the independent California health insurance agent? One of Matt’s typical jokes, but what about this wife thing, he thought? He knows I’m not married. I don’t even have a girlfriend! With that thought, he rushed to open the package and within he found a small card with a gold key. “Dear John Paul, you have been such a dear friend through all these years, I wanted to give you a lucky key for your birthday. Use this key when you want to open an opportunity of a lifetime. Remember, this is more than a symbol; it’s your health and life insurance. Matt”.

“That, Matt!” he thought. “Always giving me some puzzle”. But he placed the key in his pocket anyway, just in case.

The business day drew to a close and the late afternoon was drawing its shade over the city. Juan Pablo rubbed the key in his suit pocket as he was walking down the city block, and then up appeared a woman jogging, who just rounded the corner as he was. They both looked at each other so intently that the woman stopped jogging and stood before Juan Pablo for a moment. In a daze, without thinking, Juan Pablo reached into his suit pocket and gave it to the woman. She didn’t even look down to see what it was, still staring on at Juan Pablo. Then in a flash she turned around and began to jog again away from Juan Pablo, as if nothing ever happened.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Agnes,” a man’s voice said while placing a gold necklace with a gold key pendant over Agnes’s neck. “Thank God,” Agnes said to the man, “that your number was engraved on the back of this key. I wouldn’t have ever known your name, or see you again.”

“Yeah, that Matt is such a soothsayer, I tell ya!”

Matt Lockard – California Health Insurance agency offers health insurance plans for individuals, families, and children. Also available are California Medicare Supplement policies. Go to http://mattsinsurance4ca.com to get an instant health insurance quote.