Happy coincidences

I love happy coincidences. Yesterday I was reunited with a former work colleague I had not seen for more than 8 years.

It was a fleeting couple of seconds in a cafe, where she stopped walking and turned around, just as I looked up and crossed her path. Our eyes met, looked quizzically, registered...our arms opened, hugged - "Oh My God! It's you! I can't believe it!"

There was no real reason for me to be at that cafe. It was not planned. We were out shopping. We went into a shop I was planning to go to this week, not on Sunday. On an impulse I suggested we grabbed some food at the cafe there. It was mid-afternoon, not a traditional time to eat, but we decided to go for it. It was also just an hour from the shop closing time, so it turned out there was little food available, leading me to walk the length of the counters, which was where I had that coincidental meeting with E.

E had never even been to this city before - and didn't know I now lived here. She had been on holiday 50 miles away and was flying back from the local arport. But they'd arrived early so decided to do some shopping and get something to eat.

Every logical grain of my brain says this meeting should not have happened. What if....But you weren't planning to.... You never....

But greater forces were at work yesterday, and I'm so glad they were.