“Do you speak English,” a stewardess asked a lady beside me. “No,” she answered. “So, you can’t sit next to the plane’s emergency exit then,” I heard a voice. I asked the lady if she speaks Russian, and she answered: “Yes.” At that point the stewardess let her sit beside me because I could be a translator for her. “Where do you live?” I was curious. “Oh, very far away from here – Canary Wharf,” the lady said. I was surprised because I live in Canary Wharf too. “Would you mind telling me where exactly in Canary Wharf?” I was more curious than before. “Crossharbour. You know this place, right?” Of course, I know this place because I live in the same area – Crossharbour, and I was really shocked how it could be that we met for the first time, sitting together on a plane, and living just 5 minutes’ walk from each other.
What a surprise! Not only do we live close, but we discovered that the family where I will be working soon is her friends. Do you think that’s all? No, it’s not. She works as a nanny as well as I and worked as a nursery teacher in the past (same as me). Guess that else?
Boys whom we will be looking after going to the same school, class and we could meet often, go to the playground together.
I believe every person comes into our lives and many events happen with a reason. Everything in life is connected.
According to the Cambridge dictionary “coincidence is an occasion when two or more similar things happen at the same time, especially in a way that is unlikely and surprising.”
“The primary categories of coincidences include serendipity and synchronicity. Serendipity relies on the intersection between wisdom and chance to accidentally find something of interest or value. Carl Jung (Jung, 1973) stimulated imagination about meaningful coincidences with his ideas about synchronicity as an acausal connecting principle. Jung invented this term, which means “falling together in time,” to explain meaningful coincidences.” (Bernard D. Beitman M.D.)
Meaningful Coincidences, Serendipity, and Synchronicity | Psychology Today
When a strange occasion happens, it could be just coincidental or there might be a meaningful, amazing cause and a sign that there is something more we cannot explain. Sometimes the meaning is clear and guides us, but often it doesn’t reveal itself immediately and can take years to understand.( I still don’t understand fully the purpose of meeting my neighbourhood’s lady on the plane because she is very busy, and we don’t meet often.)
If some coincidence happens people often say that the world is small. Many times, I just think about someone whom I haven’t met for a long time and this person phones me or I see him soon.
Coincidences are unpredictable, difficult to prove, but somehow, they happen less or more, and very often amazing things happen at the most inopportune moments. I think these are life lessons: to make us stronger, to learn more about choice making and setting priorities. It also could be leading light to something and mostly comes unexpectedly, but with a strong meaning for the observer.
Nowadays many people are busy and don’t draw attention to these signs because unplanned events don’t fit in their every day’s routine. However, a choice is always up to us to see it or not, to find meaning in it and to do something with it or not. It is like an unspoken, symbolic language there you need to learn something, pick out symbols and following patterns and which is worth understanding. But, unfortunately, in some cases understanding never comes.
When you are doing things that are related to your specific part of life, and connected to your dreams and desires, amazing coincidences can occur. We only need to be “awake”: to remark and recognize them. They clear our way, especially, if you go “your way” then more positive moments arise.
For example, when I studied in University, I always had a question in exam that was exactly the one I read before entering the class. I was always surprised how it could be if I had some concern or problem to solve and then, accidentally, I heard an answer to it in church. Sometimes answer for me comes when I read quote somewhere or listen song and so on… Now I know, I just need to listen, to look around and the answer will come, but for some answers waiting time is longer …
Did you notice that when we help each other help comes for you unexpectedly from different sources? At this point we could think – coincidence? Somehow life is a circle. The more we give the more we receive. It is not just about materialistic things, but we can give our time, love and so on… and give wholeheartedly without any expectation. Life is full of surprises, I think.
To summarize, I would say that “open eyes, mind and heart” disclose more, just we need to pay attention to it or …. not. It is up to you😊) Look around with a curious eye and you will see – magic, wonderful things could happen.
“Learn how to see. Realize that everything connects to everything else.”/Leonardo da Vinci/
With love,
Svetlana
