A Tale Of Serendipity

“Life is full of surprises and and serendipity. Being open to unexpected

turns in the road is an important part of success. If you try to plan every

step, you may miss those wonderful twists and turns. Just find your next

adventure, do it well, enjoy it, and then, not now, think about what comes next.”

- Condoleeza Rice –

I shared this incident with friends on Facebook, but I wanted to share it with all of you as well. Because I’m so proud. And feel compelled to ‘brag’ a little about one of my children. So please bear with me...

My older daughter called me one evening last week to say hi, catch up, and share an interesting tale.

It goes like this...

Throughout the winter, she had been feeding a cat, which she was sure was a stray, that had been wandering around outside her apartment. She was worried and concerned about the little furball; about its ability to survive the cold weather. In an effort to help it get through the most difficult periods, she had been putting out food for it.

Despite being scruffy, undernourished and exposed to the harsh elements of winter, this homeless feline was in good spirits, and seemingly friendly. And because of that good temperament, he/she seemed like a great candidate for a permanent home. So my daughter often wondered whether she should take it upon herself to trap the cat, get it checked at the vet and hand it over to the cat rescue organization that she is a volunteer with. That way, there was a chance at adoption. Or at the very least, foster care.

After many weeks of struggling with indecision, my daughter decided one day to simply take action. She managed to get the cat into the pet carrier and off to the vet she went to get it checked. Aside from being too thin, dirty and a little beaten down from living outdoors, he (she found out it was a male) was in pretty good condition. And extremely cooperative, friendly and content. In fact, he was so happy and sociable that the vet joked about having a hard time examining his heart with her stethoscope because he was purring too loudly. My daughter was happy about this because a good disposition increased the chances of adoption for this animal, and she was further satisfied that her decision to intervene and get him off the streets was a good one.

And then things took an interesting turn...

The receptionist working in the office approached my daughter at one point and asked her a series of questions about the cat she’d brought in. Like where she'd found him and how long he’d been wandering around near her apartment. After my daughter answered the questions, the woman said to her: “I think this might be the long missing cat of my sister”

Turned out she was right! The little furball, whose name it turns out is Felix, had been missing since November. Apparently, he has problems with his vision, and it’s believed that he was probably unable to find his way back home after the first snowfall of the season when the scents along the routes he frequented were compromised by the blanket of snow.

In the words of my daughter: “I can honestly say that this experience reaffirmed my faith in the universe, as many things could have gone differently and resulted in Felix not being returned home to his family.” Indeed! She acted at the right time, and Felix is back with his family. Had she taken him in at another time or to another vet, the story would have had another ending.

This is a wonderful story of serendipity. It has renewed my own faith in the universe, reminded me once more of how proud I am of my daughter whose heart is in the right place, and whose soul is on the right track. And strengthened what I already have tremendous faith in: That a random act of kindness can result in a happy ending and such an uplifting tale.

Or should I say tail?

This is Felix. He is now back home with his family.