Betina explores Synchronicity

My family has always acknowledged that there are occasionally strange matches or instances of mirroring of circumstances and details in our lives. At first we called it "funny coincidences." Then we called it just "coincidences." And somewhere along the way we learned that other people had discovered it too, and given it a name: "Synchronicity." Similar happenings, details, meetings, or interactions that unexpectedly "match" or "coincide."

My earliest memories of this were when my family moved from one state to another and, oddly, my letter sweater from my previous school (a big red "N") and the school mascot (wildcats) matched perfectly. But it had happened earlier with my parents: both of their grandmothers were named "Pollyanna." (Okay, one Polly Anna, and the other Pollyanna, but close enough!) Interestingly, when I got married, my grandmother and my husband's grandmother had the same name: "Alma." A skeptic might say that was a generational thing-- that there were probably a lot of Alma's in that generation. What are the odds that my current fiance's grandmother was Alma, too? Well, she was.

Odder still was a meeting we had with a pediatric heart specialist who was filling in at our local Urgent Care when our son was young. He had driven up from the Mayo cCinic just one night to fill in and listened to Zeb's chest during an asthma attack and declared he had a heart murmur. Three years later, we had Zeb back in Urgent Care for another asthmatic attack (hadn't been there since the first time!) and lo, and behold-- the same cardiac specialist was on duty and made the same diagnosis. He told us he hadn't been there since that first episode when we'd seen him. He remembered us and was as astonished as we were. Afterward we took Zeb to a heart doctor, who couldn't seem to find the murmur this doc said he had. Still feel a little uneasy about that, after 16 years.

Ever gone halfway across the country on vacation and walked into a department store to find someone you know from home shopping there? Living in Minnesota, I had flown to Florida and driven down to Ft. Myers on vacation. I walked into Saks and found my mother's long-term neighbor and dear family friend at the jewelry counter! Neither of us had ever been to Ft. Myers before! Did it mean anything? I have no clue.

But I do find myself taking note of these coincidences and sometimes letting them influence the decisions I make. I see them as nudges from the Universe. Nods in the right direction.

Sometimes, they're just something to smile about. Like the fact that my beautiful new granddaughter "Kate" was born at 7:37 pm on Monday. (Hurray!!!) Interestingly, her mother, my daugher-in-law, was also born exactly at 7:37 pm. Hmmmm. Wonder what that means. If anything.

Maybe all it means is that we humans always look for meaning, for the truth behind the reality. Maybe they come to mean what we need them to mean. Or maybe the Creator or the Universe just throws them in for FUN.

What about you? Had any coincidences that have left an impact on your life or caused you to wonder what was behind it all? Have you ever let an instance of "synchronicity" guide your decision process? How did it turn out?