Day #7: Coincidence Isn't Just For Novels

Ever had that moment where you're just going about life and suddenly run into someone you never would have imagined running into at that particular time, at that particular place? What are the odds, right? What was the likelihood of both of you being at the same location at the same time?

I had that happen to me the other night. My sister and I had a Girls' Night Out this weekend. A local historic theater was playing Raiders of the Lost Ark, and of course I had to go. I grew up on Indiana Jones. And it was also the perfect excuse to check out the theater, which I've never been in. It's gorgeous and I look forward to attending more events there.

But I ran into an acquaintance there that I never would have imagined running into. The odds of us being there at the same time, same place just aren't high at all. Some people roll their eyes at coincidence in novels because the likelihood of it actually happening - or the protagonist and an old friend running into each other in London - just isn't high. But it happens. Sometimes things line up. Coincidence isn't just for novels. Don't ever assume that just because the possibility isn't high that it won't happen.

Now that I've recovered from the weirdness of that oddball occurrence, I can appreciate the weekend. It was a girls' weekend, and it's exactly what I needed. I woke up Saturday morning with a relapse into my chest cold. Bleh. And because Life sometimes likes to deliver double whammies, my friend Catherine With a C (I know two Catherines) woke up with a full-on chest cold. So our plans for Sunday night were canceled. We both need to rest.

So my mum and I took Saturday as a much-needed Mom-Daughter Day. My dad and sister were off doing something, so we got up, made a bowl of cheese-and-caramel popcorn, some virgin margaritas, and put in Eat Pray Love. While I cannot 100% relate to the protagonist's problems, that movie's ultimate message did really speak to my soul: Once you learn to love yourself, the good and the bad, you can find it within you to love others. While I didn't need a year-long tour of Italy, India, and Bali to "find myself," I did recently go through my own "self discovery" and still am a little bit. I don't suppose we ever stop learning about ourselves, though, do we?

My forever-friend Megan paid a surprise visit in the afternoon, and brought with her chicken tamales wrapped in banana leaves. Comfort food! Ever since she got busy with college, we haven't gotten to see each other very often. We've known each other literally for our whole lives and we are probably as opposite as forever-friends can get. But we are besties. It was super duper awesome to see her and gossip about life over tamales and more virgin margaritas.

With that and the movie, it was practically a perfect weekend.