Not Just the "Luck of the Irish"

Someone gave me a shamrock plant, and someone else told me to check it for a four leaf clover which I had never heard before.  A four leaf clover is an uncommon variation of the three-part leaves of the shamrock  plant.  Regarding the four leaf clover, each leaf represents one theme:  the first one hope, the second faith, the third love, and the fourth luck.  I write a lot about the first three, so, today, on St. Patrick's Day, I thought it fitting to address the third, "luck."  We hear about the "luck of the Irish," and the shamrock plant is one of their symbols of luck.  It has also has become a world-wide symbol of luck (especially the four leaf clover), like the horseshoe.  Luck is an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that results in discovering something desirable by accident.  Chance means the same thing as luck, however, something happening by chance may not necessarily have a favorable outcome.  Luck also means good fortune.  Being lucky and having good fortune may happen as the result of one favorable incident, or the probability of future success brought about due to a favorable combination of circumstances.  Luck and chance occur beyond one's control without regard to one's will or desires, whereas good fortune may be expected because of hard word.  Serendipity means the occurrence and developing of events in a happy or beneficial way, similar to luck or good fortune.  It is a happy accident or a peasant surprise.  Serendipity differs from luck and chance as it applies to finding something when looking for something else.  Or, it may occur when a combination of events, which are not  individually beneficial, but when occurring together, produce a wonderful outcome.  Luck, good fortune, and serendipity, are exciting things.  Some people even see them as supernatural happenings.  Others, who "don't believe in good luck," merely associate them with the names of fortunate events.