Not a Mere Coincidence E-Book

Kettly Calixte

• Herausgeber: Books on Demand
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 56

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2021

Beschreibung

How often have you responded to an unexpected experience with a mere surface reaction? "OMG! I cannot believe my luck! What a coincidence!" Then you moved on, giving it no further thought. If you believe the uncanny events in your life are simply coincidences, think again.

Leseprobe

DEDICATION

I dedicate this book to my deceased little brothers, Marius and Petrus and to my dad. Their lives and non-existence have changed my life and how I live it.

To my loving mom, whose grace and strength is admirable to me.

To my precious son, Noah.

To my wonderful nieces and nephews - Christina, Elijah, Enejah, Kevin, Kyla, Nathalie, P.J., Roberto, Sandra, Stephanie. And my lovely and caring sister, Sandra.

CONTENTS

Dedication

Preface

Introduction

Chapter 1. My Little Angel, That Little Voice

Chapter 2. A Dramatic Day

Chapter 3. The Muggers

Chapter 4. The Appointment

Chapter 5. You’re Fired! Karma

Chapter 6. The Minivan

Chapter 7. The Stranger

Chapter 8. Drowning

Chapter 9. Final Thoughts

Recommended Books

Acknowledgments

PREFACE

Have you ever had a friend unexpectedly help you out, resulting in positive changes in your life? Perhaps you’ve experienced someone calling you out of the blue to cheer you out of your funky mood. Maybe you’ve discovered a picture, card, or letter tucked inside a book, bringing fond or happy memories that made you smile or laugh out loud, and you momentarily forgot your worries. Have you been on the receiving end of a stranger’s kindness, experienced an unexpected victory, averted or survived an accident, or escaped a fatal danger? How about physical healing despite the odds?

I believe some unexpected incidents may transpire to prevent catastrophes in our lives— worse or simply scarier than any mishaps we’re experiencing in the moment. People frequently experience such surprises. Yet, in general, we take for granted the “OMG” and “I can’t believe my luck” moments. Or we brush them aside as coincidences, or we’re unaware of their miraculous nature.

I believe we, human beings, are assisted by an Entity greater and higher than our human will. For me, that force is God, always present and active for our betterment. I also believe that unexpected circumstances serve various purposes: to support, protect, redirect, enhance, and otherwise enrich our lives. Surprises can shift us to a new or better level of thinking and living—a positive change of attitude, a different perspective that encourages and sometimes forces us to grow and change in positive ways.

As I gradually reached spiritual maturity over the years, I began to view situations differently that would have previously thrown me off balance. For instance, losing loved ones taught me the value of family, not taking myself too seriously, and caring more for others. Losing my job propelled me to a better one.

My intention for this book is to challenge you to expand your outlook to view defeats as opportunities, boost your hope in every life circumstance, and recharge you when in doubt. I hope my experiences will also entertain you and help you heal and further grow as an individual.

INTRODUCTION

A vivid, recurring memory from my childhood was a conversation with my then-twenty-something cousin. I was about eight years old when I saw her staring into the sky, her expression pensive. I approached her and asked, “Why do you look like that? What’s wrong with you?”

“I have lots of problems,” she replied.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“You’re a kid, you wouldn’t understand,” she dismissed.

Whenever I recall my question, “What do you mean?” I smile and shake my head in amusement. I was completely nescient of life’s challenges. Compared to a child of that same age today, I was naïve, being raised in a sort of bubble, protected from the world. For example, it was only on rare occasions that I was allowed to watch television. The amount of time allotted and the type of entertainment was strictly restricted and supervised by an adult. I was always accompanied to and from school by an adult. My friends were my siblings and selective cousins.

Not long after the brief conversation with my cousin, I experienced my first big problem. I learned that my father, barely forty years old, was deteriorating in health, dying from cardiovascular disease.

The loss of my father in my preteens exposed me to grief at a tender age—my first loss in childhood. My father and I were very close, and his passing felt disastrous and unimaginable, marking me. He was a caring father, a good husband, and he was loved and respected by many who knew him.

My mother was a young widow with four young children to raise—my sister, two brothers, and me. But his passing also shaped our lives in positive ways. We were humbled and drawn closer as a family.

The passing of my youngest brother in his late thirties shook me anew. That unimaginable loss brought lots of pain. Watching my mother going through such grief a second time, particularly losing her child, was devastating. Our little brother, whom I referred to as my “lil bro,” was gone. I also felt anguish for his two children going through this heartache I knew much too well.

Four years later, my other brother died unexpectedly, holding us in perpetual grief. I was angry, shocked, and devastated. I ached for his three children and shared with them that their dad and two aunties had endured the same feelings when we lost our dad. I reassured them that their love for their dad and memories of him would remain strong forever, and their emotional pain would subside over the years. They were resilient and able to cope with their grief.

My siblings and I were foremost concerned about our mother, as our entire extended family was. We wondered how on earth she’d get through the pain and how the multiple losses would affect her health and will to live.

Somehow, we pulled her through. We all felt comforted by the power of love, family ties, friends, and even the kindnesses of strangers. Gratitude, faith, hope, and prayers gave us divine strength to endure. I’m forever grateful for the divine interventions and people who helped sustain me and our remaining family.

I made peace with impermanence.

No matter how cautious we are in trying to avoid negative experiences by steering clear of the unfamiliar, life does happen, the good and the bad. All individuals carry loads—some folks have bigger burdens or more hurdles than others, but it’s all relative. However, how we each choose to deal with our loads is solely our individual responsibilities.

The day I learned about my older brother’s death, I was terribly upset with God. I asked, “Why?” and cried, “Not again!” Then I realized this truth: It is what it is, we live through things and go on. We each make personal choices whether to embrace love and everything else life brings, including self-love. My mom was a testament to embracing life through her resilience, strength, and ability to love herself.