A Chance Meeting of Friends

We have a friend, I’ll call him Keith, who is legendary for running into someone he knows wherever we go. This past spring, we traveled with Keith and his family to another state, and, I kid you not, within a day of our arrival, he was chatting with someone he knew in college that he happened to see in line at a theme park. Around the time Pope Leo XIV was elected, Mr. Transportation was telling an irreverent joke about going to the Vatican with Keith and while Keith went to congratulate the Pope with a handshake, some guy asked my husband, “Who’s that with Keith?” to say that Keith is more recognizable than the Pope. That’s absolutely not true, but our circle had a good laugh at the idea.

I am not on the same level as Keith, and yet I’ve been bumping into friends and acquaintances all over the place lately: one of my Bunco friends at my daughter’s camp orientation, Pumpkin’s school friend at a local park, a couple (who I happen to have met through Keith and his wife) at a pool party. These chance encounters make my heart soar. I spent so much of my early life as a nomad, first as a military brat, then as a young adult seeking adventure, then as a military wife. Each of these encounters reminds me that I have planted roots and found my place within multiple small communities in the larger community of my city. They reinforce my feeling of comfort and familiarity here (safety) as well as my belongingness (social).

It's also the unexpected nature of these chance meetings that make them so joyful. I don’t plan to run into friends, I’m not looking for them, but there they are – a delightful surprise waiting to happen on an occasion that might otherwise be somewhat mundane. Even in our most routine moments, there's always potential for a little sparkle.

So, next time you're out and about, keep your eyes open. You never know who you might see, and what unexpected joy that fleeting connection might bring. Tell me: when’s the last time you bumped into a friend or acquaintance in a surprising place?