Serendipity~~my definition!!!

Sometimes when life is moving fast and furious, I make decisions that are all based on the theory of "What the Heck, lets give it a shot"? And while some would have me believe that everything needs to have an indepth, well thought out and written plan to be successful, I have a few anecdotes and evidence that might suggest the opposite is true.

Now I am not saying that we should live with out a plan, or an objective to get us to our desitnation. My reason for stating this little different twist is to remind myself that no matter what the plan says, sometimes you just go where the spirit moves you.

This week has been loaded with Serendipity, loosley defined in Webster's as a fortunate accident. And while I have never in my life disagreed with the all knowing interpretive descriptions of words that are forever described in the amazing, all knowing dictionary, I seem to be using this word to describe those moments in life that just don't really come with a label. They are not part of the planning, but are definitely part of the direction. They are not something that we can really say is going to happen, but when I am standing in that moment, nothing would be able to get that smile off my face.

So as I moved from moment to moment in the week after the week after the busiest week of my year, there were many thoughts that had rambled through my brain. I would really like to see "G" so I can ask her about something....and within seconds of thinking this thought, I walked to my car after finishing up with an outing and as I looked out in front of me, she was walking towards me. Now keep in mind neither of us were in a town where we live, work or see each other often. We werent 1000's of miles away from home, but at that moment when I realized just seconds before my brain had uttered the thought of wanting to see her and then there she is---we might as well have been on another planet... hopefully you can get a glimpse of this seredipity. Not only was she walking towards me, her car and mine were side by side and we were there, together, opening our doors, just inches away from each other. We talked, set a time when I could come by to see her....and boom ~~serendipty.

Another little item of interest was to visit with a person who represents a certain business, I had drove all the way to Ft. Worth on a Saturday afternoon recently in hopes I would run into her not had much luck setting up and appt either. It wouldn't have been anyway cause I was trying to plan an accidental, hey fancy meeting you here...see the irony? So just a few days ago, I thought I might try calling again and making it a formal meeting, had the thought process of gee I would really like to see a person from this company and then "BAM" she is standing 2 feet away from me at another totally random moment when I was doing something else. We had a very nice visit, exchanged cards and now "serendiptious moments later" and she and I have a meeting set up.

There have been many moments like this through my life, but for many years I kind of have just dismissed them as coincidence. But now I am beginning to see, understand and believe that I am able to create in this life answers for every question, assistance for every task and light for every darkness.

There was the time when I had been going to a town many miles from my home, the person I was traveling with and I were having a talk about a favorite person in my life. I had not see her in years, but each thought of her has always put a smile on my face. With in a minute we are at an intersection....hours and miles from where either of us lives, and as we cross one of a billion street intersections on this planet, she walks across the street in front of the truck. Not like hey way over there that looks like somebody I know close, seriously serendiptiously 4 1/2 feet in front of my windshied close. I jumped out of the truck, hugged her neck, and we have laughed about that moment every time we have seen each other since.


One of my most favorite moments was many years ago, it was in the heat of a Texas summer, we had been to do our weekly grocery shopping, had our kids in the car and we stopped to let one of the little ones to go to the rest room and to put a little water in our car because it was overheating. Being the young and living on a shoestring kids with kids that we were, neither of us really could have ever predicted what happened next. As I took the little one to the restroom, and the hood was lifted to put some water in the car, the fan belt fell off the car. Not was loose and needed to be replaced, IT FELL OFF! So its hot, we have just spent the last of our paychecks getting groceries to get us through to the next pay day and now we are stranded 20 minutes from home on a Saturday afternoon, with little ones, cold groceries---well anyway. To say that I might have been a little panicked would have been a bit of an understatement. I am not sure if I cried, but my memory now as I revisit this serediptious moment in my life, I remember feeling tears. Within a few moments an older gentleman approaches and asks if we need help, of course we say well yeah we do. He goes to the car looks at the now in pieces laying on the ground fan belt and says I think I have an extra one those in my trunk. I laughed through my tears and said no you don't, and he chuckled and said yeah I think I do. Now I must tell you that not only did we not have similar cars...they werent even made by the same company. But yet this seredipitous angel goes to his car, opens his trunk and pulls out a belt that not only is the same length as the one now in pieces, but has the same number in little white letters on the side. Ok...over the years as I have told this story, the memory of that day and what he looked like, the color and type of car he drove--right down to the funny little white shoes and completely white outfit he was wearing...have never dimmed in my memory.

I could tell countless stories but today was the culmination of many serendipitous moments from one of the most serediptious weeks I have ever had. I won't tell you all of them, but just a few weeks ago I mentioned to someone how I would like to meet someone local, who has similar interests as me, who is an author who could help and direct me on a project that I have been working on for about a year. Guess who I met this morning and who I have a meeting with tomorrow? Yep---the moments just go on and on....a friends new endeavor, and all the ideas to help, guess who I run into? As I am sitting in a meeting this afternoon looking around the room at some of the most amazing people I have ever had the serendipity to meet and thinking about what I admire about many of them, someone walks up and says what they admire in me. I have so many dreams and hopes for the people we serve, and I have met at least three who have offered to help me work towards those goals this week. A wonderful lady that I have known and respected for years and I had a little bit of a disagreement lately. Although I was determined to not let harsh words and actions change how I feel about her, today we both ended up in a wonderful moment and it was as if we had never disagreed about anything. We were instantly back into a mutual caring and respectful relationship and feeling gratitude and pride for a wonderful event and amazing surprise for her that I was blessed to be able to be a witness to.

Over the last couple of years, my life has been filled with seredipty moments and gifted me serendipituos friendships. I am more and more convinced that these people who are amazing, loving, supportive and encouraging are destined to be a part of the this serendiptous life. They are here because as I get closer and closer to my purpose, my mission, and my passion, each person who has agreed to be a part of my success is showing up to gift to me energy and love that will spur me on my way. I am serendipityiously blessed and blissfully happy to be in this moment and in love with this life. My FaoFoc, my Ladies of the Round table, my BFF's, my fellow Lions, my work family, my kids, my grands, and you--you are all my seredipitious blessings, and I can hardly even think any of it has been an accident...its all too perfect to be anything less than a miracle.

Actually as I sit here and work on sharing this bit of blog~erapy I am remembering more and more moments in my recent life history and from my long term memory and my smile is just getting bigger and bigger. How could I ever doubt again the divine hand that is on this life? Mine, yours, ours? Never again....and even some of those moments that did not start with a smile or even a serendiptious moment but more often with pain and misunderstood feelings, they too were about getting to the answers that were meant for me to find. All of them, All the time...All to the good!

There are so many words and sayings that we use and re-use to try and explain these little minor miracles in life, but I think we might just be doing the miraculous part of this journey a disservice by doing so. I completely understand and acknowledge that not every question will be answered by one of these amazing moments, but then I can be happy in anticipation of the answer none the less. I know too that sometimes not getting an answer is really still a resolution to the question. Every prayer is answered, just sometimes the answer is no. Not because we didn't deserve a yes, but a yes was not what would have lead us to the right answer.

So now I am on a mission, to redefine and redo the way we use the word serendipty. I don't really think of these amazing moments as accidents, I think of them as divine meetings at the coincidental intersections of life. They are directed by our hearts desire and fired by our faith in the belief that we are meant to be happy, have the life that we are destined to live and when we are living on purpose can never really miss any way we shoot. I love my serendipity--don't you?

I have learned that if you will look at people for whats in their heart and not in their hands, whats the truth of their words and not the volume or quantity, for the balance of their actions, not the stories of could haves...you will find the real people. The ones who will hold you up when you can't stand, the ones that will love you when you feel unloveable, and who will teach you about who you ought to be or could one day be. Those are my kind of folks...and I know many of them!


At one point in my life, I relied completely on my feelings to decide on people who would get my attention. I listened to their words and forgave their misteps and hurtful actions. I thought if they were saying they cared that meant they did.



I have since come to realize that I was unable to "SEE" the real person because I was looking at the outside and using only my eyes. Truely being able to SEE those who are in my life has become more of a heart thing. I can see how they treat me, and watch how they treat others. I SEE how they care for those in their family and how they are careful with themselves.



I have learned to use my heart and my intuition. I have learned when someone behaves with meaness and harsh words that it is not because of me, it is because of who they are. They are liviing their anger instead of using it to guide future decisions. It was this way for me. Now its a momentary distraction. I take note of the reaction you pulled from me and then I understand that I must limit your access to my heart and feelings because you do not know how to respect it. I also send you away with every wish for light and love in your world...each and every time I see you.



Once I realized that I am the one who is responsible for those who get my permission to take up my moments, I accept the responsiblity and the blame. I do not allow missteps without noting that I think someone is off base. I changed me and my reactions and now those who show up in my life are people who feel and behave in a way that is an example of the me I long to be. They are generous to a fault. When they take on a task and a responsibility, you have not need to worry about the outcome...it shall be done.



These amazing people who are now a part of my reality hold me up on the days that I find it hard to walk. They cheer me on when I am headed towards a new goal. They send me text messages to remind me to take care of me. They invite me to be a part of the life celebrations big and small. And when I am in need they arrive with gifts that not only meet those needs, they give with no expectaions beyond the joy to give.



I keep saying it and I keep on meaning it. I love my life and I am so grateful that I have learned to SEE the real in people...the real good ones and the ones who are still struggling. I love SEEing things as they keep getting better and appreciating each real person who helps me be better and do better...I love SEEing you!

God wants you to know....

From the God wants you to know app...



that every moment is an opportunity for you to be happy. You know how sometimes it seems that life is just throwing you one curved ball after another? Well, guess what, - you have a great way to respond! - you can use every opportunity, every single one, to be happy. Don't just take a shower - feel into and receive pleasure from the water on your skin. Don't just walk on the street - enjoy the fragrances of the trees and the flowers on your way. Don't just drive your car - sing karaoke to your favorite radio station.



This lesson took a long time for me to get...understanding that happiness is a choice. But since I got it, it has made all the difference. We are so amazingly blessed even when things are not as we hope, we still can find many many moments through out our day to recognize a blessing and be grateful.



A nice message on facebook, a great song to sing along with on the radio, someone lets me merge into traffic, a gift that is not only completely perfect for me or just what I was needing(clipboard), words of encouragement, appreciation and love.



Moments of healing come often and are also among those happy moments, things come almost as fast as I share that I have a want or a need, people showing up that are great examples of how one should live their life. Help when a struggle shows up, or a lesson learned and that leads me to something better(all to the good).



I am happy...and wish the same for you.

So I offended you....

Its still a hard lesson for me, I try so hard not to make people angry(code word for people pleaser) I try to work and get everything that I am responsible for done(good work ethic) I try to be honest and tell people what I really think(integrity) but the old saying is true, you can't please everyone! I am so amazed at the things people decide to be offended by...seriously!!



I guess I am always a little surprised when someone chooses to be offended by something that I cannot find offensive. I guess there are underlying priciples to their reasoning, but I just think it would be easier to find a solution than to change the way people see you or feel about your presence.



I understand too, that while there might be reasons you chose the reaction you did, I find it a bit of a mystery as to why you wouldn't just say what you think. Let us discuss our differing opinions and then come to a solution. I do not understand why there has to be hatefullness and words behind my back.



Surely everyone understands that there is almost always a reason why things are set up the way they are, possibly that after years of handling issues or problems with a certain situation the problem solvers would have had to make decisions to handle things in one way or another.



I am still a bit surprised too, at how the tactics of I'm gonna get my way play out. Calling on others to correct the situation, only knowing part of the story as you retell it, and making it about something that it was never intended to be. Life is so busy, I wonder too how you have time to do all this?



It's called being passive/aggressive--you seem as though you are upset with my decisions, or at least with those you percieve are mine. You set about to create a dust=storm of words and insult that never needed to happen. You are angered by something that never should have created any emotion at all.



At this point of the story there really is no going back for you, you have issued ultimatums and drawn a line in the sand. You have decided your fate and my emotional understanding of who you are choosing to be. At the end of the day the offending was never meant to be such. It was an attempt to correct a problem. It was a group of caring people who sought to protect what they work so diligently to create and share with those their heart cares for. Their request was only that, not a demand. Their intention a pure and considerate thought process of how to prevent a bad moment for many and an embarrassing moment for a few.



I stand by the choices we made, and I also tell you that your reaction may lead us to another solution, but a less harmful reaction would have had the same effect. It would also have preserved our respect for you and a relationship that some of us have worked to build. You put a price on our friendship and I hope your monetary, momentary investment was worth your costs.



Relationships are fragile creatures, they can withstand many misteps, hardships and celebrations. But words said in haste and anger change those bonds--often they can be healed, but the scars remain. The loss of trust in your abiltiy to handle things with firmness for your position and also consider the information that was given in explanation. But once you have chosen a path of hatefulness and disrespect, there are only a few actions that will work towards a rebuilding and it seems as though you chose to leave those undone.




My therapy session is to use this as an example of how not to react, and especially to guard against over-reaction. It has taught me that I must always consider the relationships that matter, andl everyone one of them matters. That I myself being human at one point or another may have reacted to a similar situation in a similar way. But at the end of the day, I respect those who are in my life, I want each of you here for the reasons you choose to be a part of this life. But I must also always remember to find a way to say the things that must be said without creating damage in your life or the way that you see me. I can be firm, stand my ground, and always, always, always present and protect my beliefs and principles to those who seek to change them. I am actively working on not being offended by you, or being offensive towards you. I am also busy giving myself permission to forgive you, for those things that took away my smile. With all this therapy in action, I am to the other side of the hurt, almost as quickly as you created it.



I remember a time when offenses were worn like badges of pain, I no longer have to be that person. Therapy works to build new habits and let go of pain....I love my blog~erapy!

My bucket is full!

So there are things in this life that can take the wind out of our sails, deplete our energy reserves or empty our bucket. The trick is understanding this and moving towards those people, activities and love that fill you up more than other things work on emptying you out. I remember life before I came to understand this difference in reality. I can remember thinking how much can I stand? How much more before I am too empty to refill my bucket. This life bucket is full of the energy of life, a sweet drink that refreshes me so that I may carry on, this vessel is not that large but only a small drink can make all the difference. As I carry my bucket I am reminded how heavy it is but how necessary the weight to get me through each challenge. And while it might not be that every time I have a challenge, I find myself empty, but when I do there are only a few things that can help me to recover. There are people who just the thought of them can make me begin to feel better and fuller. There is work and people who respect my talents that encourage and lift my spirits, and I believe meaningful work is always a great asset. There is family, wonderful, amazing, forgiving family that continues to add to my bucket often if not daily. And the newest two additions to my family are those little extensions of humanity that make me smile even when I feel like I have no smiles left.



My life is wonderful, a work in progress, a dream come true, my buscket is full...thank you!