Finding joy: Chance encounters

It's been a crazy-busy week to say the least. We made an offer on a new house and that was accepted on Tuesday, so it's been a flurry of activity and paperwork since then. Last night I was sitting on the couch with S and Astrix thinking about life and all of its big transitions and moments. Something like purchasing a house is a planned change -- something that you think about and dream about and spend time planning for.

But then there are so many little moments, so many chance encounters... and you don't realize that these are what will alter the course of your life forever.

Today is Astrix's 9th birthday. It is hard to believe that she is my kitty! I remember driving to the Humane Society in Tacoma for a big adoption event, hoping and praying that I would get a kitten. By the time my number was called, there were no kittens left, so I milled around and met cats.

It was pure chance that Astrix and her sister arrived. It was -- God, I'm going to say it -- fate that I had the next number. And it was perfect when I met her and held her and pet her downy kitten fur and heard her purr.

Oh, if she were this small again...

A happy #caturday with Miss Astrix

And what if not for other random encounters? Who would have known that eleven years ago I would have met such a dear friend in French 110?

Monika and I on Ride the Ducks

Or that I would have met such long-lasting friends who sat in the office next to my cube or shared the same passions for learning that I did? That just a certain conversation or just pausing to say hello or a simple lunch invitation could turn into years of inside jokes and memories?

Back in 2007, I started hanging out with these guys.

Googlers at conferences is really fun. My spirit animal is in red :)

And then there's this guy. Almost exactly three years ago we met for the first time (I know -- I was curious so I tried to reverse-engineer it, and while I can't be sure of the precise date, I came up with late February/early March three years ago. THREE YEARS AGO).

This sums up my first impression of my S.

I was just starting to attend more courses at the gym and, in my friendly Sarah way, introduced myself to someone in the room I hadn't met -- Sergio. I'm not sure what exactly we talked about. It's terrible. I didn't store the conversation away in my head because I didn't know it was him (him as in my best friend and love of my life as opposed to Him).  He was nice and engaging and that was all I needed to talk to him again, to let friendship begin.

This guy...

What if I hadn't been friendly that day?

As someone who loves to plan and organize and over-engineer everything, it is refreshing to see that many of my most important relationships didn't come from my usual intense intentionality -- that I can just live and wonderful things will happen. That just being myself is enough. That a simple hello can turn into a lifelong relationship (and word from S is that he immediately fell in love with my baby blues and my smile, so those don't hurt either).

Have a happy Friday, readers -- and take a chance this weekend. Say hello, start a conversation, or connect with someone else. You won't know how much your life could change until you try.

xo,
Sarah

P.S. I've been working on two new blogs -- one with my February book picks as well as one about anxiety. I had hoped to finish the anxiety post last night but had my nose in a fascinating new book I just ordered called My Age of Anxiety. I'm only fifty pages into the book and already I am underlining pages and penning my favorite quotes into a notebook. I'll dedicate an upcoming post to this book because it is like Scott Stossel climbed into my head and wrote my experiences on the page. That's the punchline -- if you or a loved one is dealing with anxiety, don't wait. Buy this book now.