Five Ways in Which Receiving a Large Sum of Money Would Change Your Life

When I woke up this morning I looked through yesterday's mail and found a letter from a law office in the northern part of the state. I remembered receiving the letter yesterday, but hadn't opened it because I was afraid it was another "we're going to sue you" letter or something I didn't want to see. This morning I'm two months behind on my mortgage, my utilities are about to be cut off and I haven't had steady work in six months. I open the letter and read through it several times. What I'm reading can't possibly be true. It says in the letter that my Great Aunt Theresa has passed away and that I am her only living relative. She has left me several million dollars. I must drive four hours away and meet with the lawyer. I pull all of the money out of my pocket and realize that I don't have enough to make the four hour journey in my old gas guzzling car. I call my friend, who lives down the street and ask if I can borrow $40 for gas. I tell her I will pay her back in a couple of days. She puts me on hold and I can hear her arguing with her husband in the background as I wait. When she gets back on the phone, her voice sounds strained, but she tells me to stop by and pick it up.

I call the lawyer and tell him I can be at his office this afternoon. He tells me this will be okay as long as I am there before 5:00 when he closes. He says that he'll have the check waiting for me and that I have a few documents to sign to make everything official. I quickly brush my teeth, grab some snacks and head down the street to my friend's house. She gives me the $40 and I promise her I will get it back to her. She smiles and tells me that it is okay, but I can see by the look in her eyes that she doesn't believe me. I have already borrowed over $200 from her and her husband over the past six months.

I stop at the nearest gas station and fill up the gas tank. I take off for the lawyer's office, but I don't have cell phone and am worried about having car troubles. I try to remember if I told the lawyer that if I didn't make it there today, I would be there tomorrow. I keep driving.

The drive is long and my car doesn't have a radio, so it seems like it is even longer. I get to his office just before 5:00. The door is unlocked. The lawyer goes over all of the paperwork with me and I sign where I am told. Finally, he gives me a check. I can't believe how much it is for. I never met my Great Aunt Theresa. As I drive home I begin figuring out what I'm going to spend some of the money on.

First, I plan to pay my mortgage up, maybe even ahead. I could afford to pay it a year ahead or even to pay the mortgage off completely. I only owe $50,000 on my house. Next, I will pay down all of my bills to zero and pay as much as I can ahead. I'll give the money back that I owe my dear friend who loaned me the $40 to drive here and back and I will make some repairs on my house. I replaced half the roof a while back and need to finish the job. I also need siding, trim, a floor put into my bedroom, paint and other odds and ends. Finally, I'm getting rid of this old car and buying something more reliable and I'm getting a cell phone, because my car is starting to come to a stop on the highway and I'm realizing I have no way to call anyone.