Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ

I must admit, coincidences have always held a special fascination for me. I'm not sure why as I am a rational and analytical person. Perhaps it's just the idea of something wonderful and strange happening without an explanation. I'm so intrigued with coincidences that the first chapter of our newest book, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Angels and the Miraculous, is all about Divine Coincidences.

I guess it could also explain why I love this Deepak Chopra quote so much: "When you live your life with an appreciation of coincidences and their meanings, you connect with the underlying world of infinite possibilities."

Here is a sneak peek of two of my favorite coincidence stories from the first chapter in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Angels and the Miraculous:

In Patricia Senkiw-Rudowsky's story, "A Date with Destiny," Patricia tells us about an amazing coincidence that happened to her friend Carla when she was having dinner with her toddler daughter at Friendly’s one Friday night. Carla found herself watching two young girls who looked to be around twelve. Patricia says, “It appeared that it might be their first time dining out without parents. The newness of their experience was evident. They beamed with pride at their adult behavior.�

Something about the friends intrigued Carla. They were nicely behaved—ordering politely, waiting patiently for their food, thanking the server. It reminded her of a time when she was young and was sitting with her best friend, showing her the ring that her first boyfriend had bought her. His name was Joey and he had moved away in ninth grade so she had no idea where he was now.

So much had happened in the intervening thirty years—she’d gone to college, gotten married, had two children, and moved away from her hometown. She had always wondered what had happened to Joey.
Patricia writes, “Carla was trying to focus on her daughter, but her attention kept drifting to the two girls across the way. She had no explanation for her fascination.�

Then the girls get their check and it was obvious from their panicked faces that they didn’t have enough money. Carla offered to help them with the bill, but they turned her down, saying that the father of one of them was picking them up. Carla decided to stay to make sure the girls were okay.

Eventually, the father arrived and one of the girls ran out to the car to get the money they needed. Carla was leaving then, so she was passing by the car. And then she heard a man saying, “Carla, Carla, is that you?� It was Joey, who she hadn’t seen in decades. He was the father of one of the lovely girls. And he told Carla that he had been talking about her recently because his daughter had just turned twelve and he was telling her about the girlfriend he had at that age.

Now remember, they were not in their own hometown. They had both moved away from there. But somehow they had met up again, and all because Carla had been fascinated by those two girls, one of whom was the offspring of her first love.

In his story, "The Little Library," Dave Bachmann tells us about a heartwarming experience that unfolded right in his own neighborhood when a little free library popped up. His eight-year-old daughter Ayla was fascinated by it and the fact that she could donate a book and then take a used book home with her.

Dave explained that the book she picked out to take home would be one that used to belong to another little girl or boy. Dave was surprised when Ayla picked her favorite book to give away, but so be it, she donated that book and she chose a new one to take home. She explained that she was giving her favorite book and expected that the one she chose to bring home would have been someone else’s favorite, too.

They went back home and Ayla started reading her new book. She announced to Dave that she had a new friend named Clara, the name that was inscribed in the book she had picked out. Dave commented that Clara was his grandmother’s name. She had passed away before Ayla was born.
Dave says, “Ayla handed me her book, opening it to the first page, and I began to read the inscription written in flowery cursive.

Dear Little Girl,
This was my book when I was a little girl. Now, it’s yours. Even though we’ll never meet, we will know each other through these stories. Think of me when you read them.
Your friend,
Clara
Newton, Kansas�

All of a sudden, Dave said that he had to show the book to his wife. Why? Because his grandmother Clara had lived in Newton, Kansas. She had donated many of her possessions to a rummage sale that her church in Newton was sponsoring before she moved to Wichita.

Now Dave lived more than a thousand miles away from Kansas. But could it be? Did they really have his grandmother’s childhood book in their hands? Dave’s wife suggested they check the handwriting by looking in his mom’s recipe book, which contained recipes handwritten by her mother—Clara. Sure enough, the handwriting was a perfect match. And how many Claras would there have been in Newton, Kansas anyway?

Ayla reclaimed her book and ran off to read it some more. And Dave said to his wife, “Grandma Clara just reached across the years and a thousand miles to connect with her great-granddaughter for the first time.�

Enjoy!



Amy Newmark