Serendipity

Hello All...

As some of you may already know - I have TWO favorite words...

one is Serendipity - which is defined (on Dictionary.com) as being "an aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident."

the other is Andiamo - which is Italian for 'let's go'

I love Italy, especially the Tuscany region. Whenever I think of Tuscany I always think 'Andiamo' because I really want to go back there.

This is going somewhere...I promise. Tonight I was prowling around on the Internet and decided to research the word Serendipity. I don't know why. I just did. I found that the word was coined by Horace Walpole and its first known use was in a letter to the Duchess of Tuscany. Okay, so I thought it was a pretty cool tie-in.

I've been thinking about Serendipity a lot lately. By the mere definition one cannot SEEK serendipity. I can immediately name FOUR outstanding examples of serendipity in my own life...

1) Once upon a time I had a fight with my ex (that would be Ex #1 for those of you who know me well enough to wonder). That fight led me to having no plans one Sunday. So I went to lunch with some friends. Where I met my friend Donna. Who became a fantastic, life-long friend.

2) I was supposed to go to a workshop but couldn't get the details arranged. So I ended up going to another workshop instead. Where I met my Old Same, Journey.

3) I got a speeding ticket. Which caused me to go to traffic court. Which required me taking the day off. Which gave me the time to go to the animal shelter to drop off some towels. Which led me to being there when my Darling Dolly was being surrendered.

4) I really wanted to go to a concert. None of my friends were attending. It was far away. Another girl, Beth, wanted to go but couldn't drive. I offered to pick her up. She cancelled. Which led me to be flying into Los Angeles and driving HOURS to a concert. Which meant I had to drive through mountains (which terrify me). Which led me to contact a total stranger to arrange a carpool. Which introduced me to my friend Susan. Who became a good friend.

None of these things happened when I was sitting at home (and two of them happened in far-away states). So see why I love Andiamo? Because when I go I encounter Serendipity.

That's not coincidence. It's serendipity; it's grace.

What has serendipity brought into YOUR life? And what are YOUR favorite words? Why? I hope you'll share them with me...they might become favorites of mine too.