Barbara: We’ve chatted here
about coincidences and miracles and what is “meant to be” and all kinds of
lovely things like that. I thought I’d share my daughter’s recent experience
because it is so in this vein—and really makes me think about all the wonderful
things that have coalesced at the perfect time in the perfect way to my
wonderment and awe.
My older daughter, as many of
you know, is in Paris right now. Well, let me let you in on the secret of how
that came to be. She’s a recently graduated fashion design student who’s been
working for a local designer for a few years already. But it was time to branch
out and head into the greater world. She was all set to go to New York City and
just let whatever might happen happen. There were impediments and frustrations
along the way in planning this trip, but she was excited and ready to take them
on. Then, at the 11th hour, she got an offer to work in Paris. A
design internship with a couturier. As money most definitely was an object, her first reaction—as
honoured as she was—was to say no. She didn’t have a place to live and rent in
Paris is astronomical. She couldn’t afford it. But before she could give her
great offer a polite and disappointed “no”, Phil remembered that we have
friends with an empty… get this… fully furnished flat in Paris. Rent? A
perfectly affordable amount. When our daughter realized that there were no
practical impediments to her going (we won’t get into all the emotional ones),
she took a huge leap of faith and made the move. Now, the truly—for me, her
mother—serendipitous part of this experience is that it turns out this
affordable, sweet, and perfect flat is also a two-minute walk from the studio where she works! You guys know how
vast Paris is, right? It is vaaaaaaaast. Nothing is a two-minute walk from
anything. The subway system is excellent over there, so getting around wasn’t
really a concern, but how amazing is it that she doesn’t have to face a long
commute every day? How … serendipitous!
As I said, perfect confluence
like this made me ruminate on my own experience with serendipity. I have
stories too numerous to share here, but perhaps my greatest encounter with it
is when Phil and I decided to go to university. We’d met and fallen in love
while attending CEGEP—a post-secondary, pre-college school system unique to
Quebec. It was our intention to go on to university. It was our hope to do so
together. After researching and auditioning for a number of universities, we
knew which one was our number one choice … but they only accepted 25 students
each year. We knew our chances might be slim to none that we would both get
accepted into our top choice. But we did! And so ensued an amazing four years
of study, discovery, and bonding.
Ironically, this form of
serendipity didn’t grace this same daughter’s romantic experience. Her longtime
boyfriend studied and now works in …. New York City. Interestingly, they are
learning a whole unique way of dealing with the distance, which includes being
utterly true to themselves while still supporting and nurturing each other.
Maybe there is serendipity in everything!
Has serendipity played a part
in some wonderful experience in your life?
Deb: I often think of the story Colin tells of his Mom and Dad when
they came to Canada from Scotland. They moved first to Montreal and then moved
to Edmonton and then to Vancouver. My father-in-law tried and tried to get work
and finally had to admit that his family was going to starve if he did not get
them back to Scotland. They had moved out of their rented house for the last
time and they were in a motel awaiting their flight. My father-in-law at the
last minute asked for a reprieve. He asked my mother-in-law to give him one
more day, just one more day. This story always strikes an emotional chord in me
because I think, “Wow, he must have known in his heart, prayed in his soul that
this was going to work”. And it did. And my husband grew up in Canada and came
to Toronto.
