An Amazing Universe

I'm a big believer that things happen in our lives for a reason. I simply do not believe in coincidence. It used to be difficult for me to describe my complicated outlook on the difference between fate & free will. My mother and sister insisted I read the book Eat, Pray, Love. I wasn't a big fan of the book, but one section has had a long-term impact on me. The author, Elizabeth Gilbert, describes it perfectly:

We gallop through our lives like circus performers balancing on two speeding side-by-side horses-one foot is on the horse called “fate” the other on the horse called “free will”. And the question you have to ask everyday is, Which horse is which? Which horse do I need to stop worrying about because it’s not under my control, and which do I need to steer with concentrated effort?”

The universe (or G-d, if you're religious) puts certain people and obstacles in our path to help us move forward and grow to be who we are from moment to moment, year to year. I think about this concept in terms of daily interactions with people and with nature. If you are not finding ways to connect with people and the nature around you every day, you are not going to see and take the opportunities presented to you.

The past week was a hard one for me. Sunday, February 22 marked one year since I lost my father to cancer. I wanted to find a way to honor his memory; a process, an activity, an emotional connection between me and my family to honor him. It would have to be food.

I splurged on groceries on Thursday night after work. Ahi steaks, crab meat, ribs, fruit for pie. I planned to make many of my dad's favorite foods over the weekend to share with my husband and our two boys. Everyone was excited to see what I would create; I cook a lot like my dad did, with many happy accidents coming out of the kitchen. On Saturday we ran some errands; I still needed a few more ingredients and we had other stops on our list. We were at the hardware store when the first of two unexpected connections dropped into my life.

As I was selecting seeds for the garden, she stopped me to say hello. We met briefly at an event a few weeks ago. Lindsey is pretty, warm, and genuine. I can't say exactly what it was that stopped us, but we spoke for nearly an hour, skipping from one subject to another. When I realized my family had been waiting too long and we needed to cut short our conversation, we hugged tightly and agreed to be surrogate sisters for each other when our long-distance sisters couldn't provide the short-distance hugs and energy we needed. As I got into the car, I felt somehow comforted by that conversation, as if she walked into my life at exactly the moment I needed her. I can still see her warm smile when I think of that day.

My family enjoyed our special dinner on Saturday night, but on Sunday morning I woke up sad, low energy, and not feeling like I could get through the day. The only thing to do on those hard mornings is to go to my studio space at the Clay Arts Guild and play with mud. I arrived to find my second unexpected and incredibly welcome connection of the weekend.

I met Jenna almost ten years ago through mutual friends. I saw her around town but we never really connected. When we met, she was going through major changes; the end of a relationship, returning from two years overseas, the terminal diagnosis of her mother. She had been through so much since then, including an incredibly difficult year when she had her first child and lost her mother. I don't know how we got to a conversation about her mother's death and my father's. The way she described seeing her mother after her death provided comfort for me; she said exactly what I needed to hear when I needed to hear it. Though we didn't make plans to connect again, that conversation brought me completely out of the deep grief I had experienced that morning. It brought me to a peaceful place I hadn't seen in the year since my father died.

You never know who or what will change your path, enrich it, nourish it, or challenge it. The universe knows what we need when we need it. If we pay attention, the things the universe puts in our path won't be quite so startling and unwelcome.

If you are not finding ways to connect with people and the nature around you EVERY DAY, you are missing incredible

opportunities.

By recognizing the amazing timing of the universe and opening your eyes to possibility, your life can be healthier, happier, and more fulfilling.

Here's your challenge for the week:

When you visit the grocery store and walk through the aisles, look at those you pass and smile - really smile. Don't use the self-check out this week. Take the extra few minutes to say hello to the person at the register. When you say "How are you?" Really look at him and smile your most genuine smile, the simplest form of human connection. At the end of the week, comment on this post or tag me on an update to share your experience.

Want to connect with me? Make it personal - add a story or joke and I'll click connect!