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My good friend and part-time neighbor Helen enjoys my stories of coincidences and happy accidents that have happened while she was elsewhere. When I see her, I often regale her with a new episode of "Guess who turned up today?"  

 

For example, I'll recount to Helen how a stranger has wandered into my studio because she couldn't find parking on Main Street but turns out to be someone with whom I share a great deal of common experience—she buys a book and then a painting! And, Helen knows all about how when I finally found a sympatico physician in our small town, he turned out to be someone with whom I share a connection--his best friend in Bishkek, Kyrgystan! (Two of my paintings hang in the American Embassy in Kyrgystan having been selected by my new doctor's best friend, the Ambassador, who also happened to show up in my studio while he was awaiting Senate confirmation—a whole other story of remarkable timing and coincidence).

 

Lucky me, right? Helen says she thinks I have a knack for attracting these kinds of experiences. She may be right, although I wouldn't say I'm lucky. I so enjoy that goosebumpy feeling of connection that I've tuned my intuitive radar to be aware of such things so I notice when they happen. Still, since I'm not aware of them happening every day, I still find it remarkable when they do. Or, rather, when I notice that they do.

 

Here's one that really got my attention that I want to share with you before I tell Helen:

 

Yesterday morning I received an email from the online printer that supplies my calendars saying they'd been delivered. However, when I realized I hadn't received them, I checked the delivery address. Somehow I hadn't noticed that I'd inserted the wrong one and my package had been delivered instead to a business in downstate MI. 

 

I vaguely recognized the name of the company  and when I Googled to find contact information, I recognized it as belonging to a woman who'd visited my studio two or three years ago looking for (but not buying) a painting for her office. I saw from the business website her surname is Joy. Eager to retrieve the misdirected calendars, I called and spoke with Ms. Joy. Would she be so kind as to forward them to me and allow me to reimburse her for the postage? 

 

Ms. Joy replied along the lines of "Of course, no problem. In fact, I was just getting ready to call you!  I've seen a painting on your website I'd like to purchase if it's still available. If it works out, we can combine transactions and I'll send you a check with the calendars." (You were, you do, you will ....??? Goosebumps!!!) 

 

She went on, then, to describe the painting. It was one that I'd used to showcase the collection in my Portfolio called Light on the Land. The painting, as it was listed on the site, was actually called "Friendly Barn (Hello, Yellow)." I checked my website, ""Yes, the painting's still available and I'll send you an invoice reflecting a discount for helping to correct my delivery error."

 

I'm always pleased when there's an unexpected art purchase in the quiet of November, but this one seemed remarkable in that Ms. Joy was about to call me but I called her first—about a matter that was entirely unrelated to a sale, in fact, was a mistake, entirely unintended by me! Thrilled with the serendipity of the whole thing, I went down to the basement where Roo was framing paintings to tell him what had happened and how it happened and (even though he's English and I'd interrupted him) he had to admit, yes, it was very cool!

 

While we were chatting  I spotted the painting leaning against the storage slots, I turned it over to make sure I'd signed it and there, staring me in the face was a title I didn't associate with that painting at all. It wasn't "Light on the Land," nor was it "Friendly Barn (Hello Yellow)". At some point, unremembered by me, I had written in black Sharpie ink on the reverse side of the painting, "Unanticipated Joy!"  

 

Major goosebumps!

 

Cynicism is so pervasive these days that one has to work hard to keep from getting negative and, while painting often helps me, I'm not always successful. I was in fact feeling rather grumpy when I discovered my calendar order had gone astray; I was tempted to blame myself, or the computer, or something for this undesirable situation. And, then, I guess because it seemed to be the Next Right Thing, I called upon Ms. Joy and discovered that, wonder of wonders, Unanticipated Joy abounds!

 

I can't wait to tell Helen ....

 

 

 

 

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