Monthly Musing – March 2024 – Chance encounters
Have you ever noticed that sometimes, just when you need help or reassurance, a stranger will say or do just the right thing to make things right? It’s happened to me a few times, and my over-active imagination always wonders afterwards if it was coincidence or The Universe gently guiding you along your way.
I was on a train recently, a rare journey alone, and an older couple were sitting opposite me across the table. We smiled hello at each other, then I settled back to look out of the window, and they started chatting as they got their picnic out of their bag. Cheese, biscuits, olives, wine … it all looked very inviting until the train lurched and the wine slopped all over the table.
The lady jumped up to clean up the mess and after wiping everywhere down, ended up sitting in the spare seat next to me as she waited for the table to dry, and we started chatting.
“Where are you off to?” she asked, after telling me about their journey plans.
“I’m solo travelling,” I said, with a smile. “First time I’ve done this.” And it was – I’ve never been away totally on my own with no plans and I didn’t go to university so haven’t even had that experience. I was excited but nervous, off to a place I know well and where family live, but I wasn’t going specifically to see the family; I was going just for me.
“Oh, you’ll love it,” said the lady. “I’ve been all over the place, even New Zealand, on my own. It’s not nearly as scary as you think it’s going to be. You know, I’ve always been thinking that I should write a blog about it, but I don’t know where to start.”
Coincidence? Our previous village vicar used to say there are no such things as coincidences … The lady and I chatted about how to start a blog and before we knew it, we were at the stop where she and her husband were getting off.
“I hope you have a fabulous time away, I’m sure you will,” she said, and then out of the blue, “You know, I have curly hair just like yours, but I decided to straighten it today. My name’s Christina, it’s been lovely to meet you.”
My husband jokes that for me to see “signs”, they pretty much have to hit me around the head before I notice them, but even I got the similarities without needing any help. Whether this really was a chance encounter or not (and of course, we will never know), I left the train at my stop confident that I was going to have the most wonderful time – which I did, as by now I was only excited and not nervous at all.
Have you ever noticed that sometimes, just when you need help or reassurance, a stranger will say or do just the right thing to make things right? It’s definitely happened to me.
There’s something really magical about this, it has really made me smile!
It did feel a bit magical – I couldn’t believe it when the lady told me her name! 🙂 xx
Karma is not always a bitch, sometimes you get back what you put in!
Loved this Christine, thank you
I’m so pleased, thank you! xx
How lovely for you! The Bible says that we sometimes meet angels unawares. I think there is no such thing as a coincidence 😅
Happy Easter to you and yours!
Amen!
I am absolutely certain that we do – I am convinced that I have met more than a few “earth angels”! Happy Easter to you too! 🙂 xx
So happy for you , that this encounter help you to enjoy your solo trip and your time were you were going . I am a great believer that when you need someone in your life it comes maybe to stay for a long time or only when is need it . It has happen to us so many times and is wonderful , just try to be that person when someone else needs you .
Weather is beautiful here too enjoy your week x
Not just me, then! I am sure that it happens to everybody, we’re just not always aware of it. I have to work hard to “see” the signs sometimes! 🙂 xx
Lovely story, Christina, thanks for sharing it. it gives me hope. Happy Easter!
Happy Easter to you too! 🙂 xx
I’m retired so have very few time constraints, I don’t drive but walk and use buses. It always amazes me how often my random choice means I meet someone who needs to talk or who can help me. As I am a Christian I believe these are heaven-sent opportunities, if my faith has helped me I give examples but I don’t preach and I don’t ask just wait to be told
Isn’t that interesting? Cars are very convenient but travelling that way does mean we shut ourselves away from opportunities to give and receive, doesn’t it? xx
What a lovely story – surely no such thing as that sort of co-incidence. You were meant to meet.
I am surprised you weren’t knitting.
Happy Easter.
I had been up until I got on that train, but it was only a short journey and I wanted to look out of the window at that point as I love the view 🙂 xx
I have just joined this lovely knitting blog to knit your socks, thank you. I live in New Zealand in Paraparaumu, pronounced para para umu. Well done you, sharing your village, your blog and your knitting patterns. So pleased I joined. 😊
Hello Carol, it’s lovely to see you and I am so pleased you’re enjoying the blog! 🙂 xx
That was nice you sat beside 2 lovely people .I’ve never travelled on a train on my own .Always frightened I miss my station for getting off .So the lsdy give you reasurance
It’s much easier to keep track of your stop on trains these days as they often have rolling announcement signs that show you all the stops before yours so you don’t miss it. I just have to make sure I don’t fall asleep! 🙂 xx
I watched that film going on holiday and I loved it.
It’s lovely, isn’t it? I loved that it was kind all the way through – I’ve obviously watched too many “perilous” UFO films as I didn’t expect it to be – but even at the point where you expected something awful to happen, everything work out. Definitely my kind of film! 🙂 xx
I so love synchronicities, and the more you juice and smile and are grateful, the more seem to flow ✨ I also have an anxiety about holidaying alone (I’ve done lots of other solo journeys away) and have been feeling for a while that this is the year to challenge myself to that! Happy Easter and Spring 🌼
PS I’ve seen the first bluebells here in Surrey and this morning on my walk a random wild poppy blooming at the base of a lamppost bordering the main A23!
I definitely agree that the more you are grateful, the more you have to be grateful for – but I’m not always so good at seeing the signs unless they are right in front of me (and sometimes not even then! 🙂 ). I don’t know that I would always want to holiday on my own, but I did enjoy this experience! xx
What a lovely experience. x
My goodness Christine your encounter gave me goosebumps. I think your guardian Angel travelled with you so you felt safe. ❤️❤️❤️❤️🌺
A lovely journey. I used to travel on trains to work, occasionally falling asleep. I wouldn’t want to sleep on a long journey. Sometimes I took my cross stitch (hobby at the time), one day a teenage lad was sat watching me stitch. Overall it was a good way to travel – slam doors trains.
Or “Harry Potter trains” as I’ve described them to my girls – they can’t imagine that people really did travel on trains where you had to put your arm out of the window to open the door! 🙂 xx