Sweet Serendipity

ser·en·dip·i·ty

/ˌsɛr ənˈdɪp ɪ ti/ [ser-uh n-dip-i-tee]

Noun

1.  An aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident.

2. good fortune; luck: the serendipity of getting the first job she applied for.

I love this word and often find myself searching for ways to use it in my every day happenings. I love it for two reasons. The first being the way it sounds as it lithely pops from my lips. It is a happy word to say. The syllables bounce up and down and it ends with that crisp “t” that just makes every word better—at least for rhyming purposes.

The second reason that I gravitate towards this word is that I don’t agree with its definition. Don’t get me wrong, I have serendipitous happenings all the time…moments in my day where I find myself elated at the smallest of findings, the most random of encounters, or the most unexpected of surprises. But luck is never something I have put my faith in, or spent my time and energy trusting.

Serendipity, to me, means taking the time to enjoy my life--looking at the ordinary as a little more extraordinary than usual. For instance, instead of dreading my daily commute that adds up to be about an hour and a half, I’ll be thankful and appreciate the quality time I get on the phone with my mom. I’ll roll down the windows on the way home and catch that last little bit of Vitamin D before the sun goes down on the way home. I’ll eat my dessert before my dinner just because I can, play with Froggie—the sweetest most devoted dog in the world, kiss my hubby like it’s the last time, and the whole time I’ll be savoring in the sweet serendipity of my everyday life.

Nothing unusual, nothing special. Except for the fact that I took time to enjoy it, took time for my family and friends, a breath of fresh air, or even just to dance to my favorite song on the radio. Sometimes it is not your circumstances that change, but rather how you look at them…and I am choosing to be thankful for mine—as much as I can, and always.

Serendipity does not happen to me, it is something I choose when I choose to look at the little moments of each day as if they were more than just insignificant and monotonous minutes, and more like gifts to delight in. Not letting life pass me by because I’m “getting through it”, but truly living my life, always savoring the serendipity of it all.