Hugs bookworm–one more and you are done and the last can be a small thing–misplace your glasses or some such thing.
Many people live fragile lives, so that one bad thing can cause other bad things to happen. For example, if someone spends all of his/her income and has no savings, then any unexpected expense or loss of income (first bad thing) could case a cascade of other bad things to happen (e.g. cannot pay bills or rent/mortgage, etc.). But then they may stop counting the bad things after three.
I long ago noticed the the way negative events tend to cluster, although not necessarily in groups of three. This year I noticed something else. As an astonishing cluster of negative events began to present itself, an even more astonishing cluster of positive events rolled out simultaneously. I don’t know what to make of it yet or if it is over. The last event happened two weeks ago. My dog had to be euthanized after experiencing a sharp decline. Maybe I should check my lottery tickets now.
Spoke too soon. D had car accident today. Extensive damage. No injuries.
The no injuries is the best news one can wish for @agreatstory, at least in my mind. One can replace things but not bodies! The original body parts are somehow never quite duplicated. I would much rather my loved one not have any injuries but some to the vehicle than the vehicle escape injury but my loved one harmed.
Sad/unpleasant/bad things happen. I try not to focus on or obsess about them. Lots of good things happen. I can’t even count all of them–each of us waking another day and living through it pretty intact is one of the best!
Someone we were friends with years ago had a terrible run: they were at husband’s brother’s funeral (suicide) when news about 9/11 hit, and wife worked at one of the locations anthrax was mailed to later, then a few months after that husband was diagnosed with testicular cancer. They were understandably reeling.
I don’t consider three as a fated number in any way, but I think I get the OP’s spirit, and that of most people who experience a string of awful news, of wanting to tell the universe that you’ve had your share thank-you-very-much.