Timing is Everything and Good Friends are AWESOME!
I have often commented on the fact that I have truly amazing people in my life. What I don’t think I’ve discussed before is how they have some of the world’s most impeccable timing. I can always count on them to be there for me, even when I don’t fully realize I even need them to be.
For example, last weekend I was having a bit of a rough time. A series of things were just going wrong in my world, leading to a great deal of self-doubt. I found myself somewhat neurotically walking in circles around the first floor of my house, talking to myself and answering. To be honest, the conversation “we” were having was not really a positive, supporting, uplifting one either. I realized that I needed to do a little thought-stopping and was trying to figure out how to work my way through it and calm down. Then my doorbell rang. It was one of my dearest friends, along with her adorable children. Two of whom are the cutest twin toddlers you ever will meet (my babies—even though I didn’t birth them). And I’m here to tell you, no matter what in the world ails you, toss a cute toddler or baby at it and the problems melt away. Make it twins and those problems don’t stand a chance!
Suffice to say I was able to calm and center myself, talk through my problems calmly with my friend, and get myself in a good spot.
Then tonight it happened again. I came home from a LONG day at the end of a LONG weekend of chaos and was rather out of sorts. I was prepared to have a lovely pity party…because those are *oodles* of fun, not to mention incredibly productive. I was trying to talk myself out of it, but was seeing myself in bed by 7, talking a great deal of “woe is me.” Then my doorbell rang. It was another dear, dear friend. She happened to be in the neighborhood and dropped by. Turned out what I needed was NOT a pity party, what I needed was someone to talk to and go through my neuroses with. Because I should know by now that talking to myself when I’m mulling something over leads down a rabbit hole of darkness. It’s just not a good idea.
Here’s the interesting thing: once upon a time I would have told you I despised the “drop in.” Wasn’t a fan. I’m still not exactly an advocate (although I have to say, both of these lovely ladies did try reaching out to me first…because they are LADIES who were raised right! :-), however I seem to be blessed with friends who somehow sense when I need them and they appear. I have absolutely no objection to that whatsoever.
I’ve talked a great deal about faith, believing in things even when you can’t see them, karma, etc. I believe that my friends totally fall into the category of what-is-supposed-to-be-will-be. I think that when you have a true, deep, meaningful connection with someone, they know when you need them, even if they don’t know that they know.
Have you ever suddenly had the feeling you needed to call someone that you haven’t spoken to in a long time? That you should go visit a family member you haven’t seen in a dog’s age? Decided to check in with someone, just because? Then eerily enough it turns out that they were thinking of you, needed you, or just somehow your timing turned out to be perfect? I believe that as much as we have free will, listening to those feelings serves us much better than ignoring them, because perhaps there are powers greater than our sense of reason at play.
I don’t pretend (ever) to have any kind of divine knowledge of how the universe works, but I pay attention to the things I see, feel and experience. Here’s what I know – coincidences are never *just* coincidences. Everything happens for a reason, even if we don’t know precisely what that reason is at the time. Instincts, feelings, gut reactions…these are senses, extrasensory if you will, that we were given but so often choose to ignore. Why?
My dad raised me that if the hair on the back of your neck stands up, listen to it. I’m not sure how hair talks, but… For years I thought that was just the over-protective cop watching out for his baby. And maybe part of it was. But I tell you that it was so strongly instilled in me that more than once I’ve completely changed my plans because something felt not quite right. And most of the time, I never know a reason for the feeling. But every once in a while it turns out that something bad happened at the place or time I was planning to do whatever it was I was going to do. Coincidence? I don’t think so.
Perhaps I’m a nut (ok, there’s no perhaps about it), but I firmly believe that we should pay more attention to the things we feel. Not that you should spend your entire life operating on instinct. Logic should absolutely come into play. But I think your mind and your “gut” should be used hand-in-hand with one another to figure out how to proceed in life.
To my friends, I say Thank You for listening to whatever brought you to my doorstep when I needed you. I appreciate and value you so much more than I can say.
To everyone else, slow down sometimes just long enough to make sure you can hear what your instincts tell you. They could be screaming some really good advice, you just have to be quite enough and trust yourself to listen. After all, who can give us better advice than our own inner voices? Except that one telling me to eat the pint of Rocky Road. That wench has it in for me and I refuse to listen!!
