On Sunday 2 August, I copied this quote in my commonplace book because I liked it. I often connect to a quote for a particular, immediate reason, but this time I didn’t. The truth of the words spoke to me.

Signs and coincidences are not just funny little weirdsies… They are not accidents. They are real. They are cosmic messages. They are made of love, and they are for you… There is a web that connects all things, all timelines, all thoughts, all possibilities, and certainly all souls… What you call a coincidence is nothing more than a moment when you actually notice the web… If you were even more tuned in. more calm, and present at all times, pretty soon you will see nothing BUT such glimpses, signs, and coincidences.
— Elizabeth Gilbert, 8/2/26 Letter From Love newsletter on Substack

Shortly after writing the quote in my book, I was bloomscrolling on Substack and saw 2 random notes from people I don’t follow that contained the same message. When 2 people who didn’t collaborate say the same thing, I know the Universe is trying to tell me something! The messages were:

THIS DID NOT APPEAR ON YOUR TIMELINE BY MISTAKE! August is about to blow you away with massive abundance and success!
— @EliseMcDowell

August will be a month of abundance.
— @BadRedheadMedia (Rachel)
(The message looked like it came from a fortune cookie.)

ACX had notified me on the previous day that one of my audiobooks is on sale throughout August. That’s certainly one way the Universe could bring some massive abundance and success to me this month!

When our housekeeper came last week, she asked me about meeting the incomparable Barry Manilow. At the precise moment I showed her the pictures, the SiriusXM Escape channel started playing Daybreak! Even she recognized it as one of Barry’s songs!

That afternoon at the dentist, I liked the electric mix of music, but I was still surprised to hear ABBA’s Dancing Queen. I always feel that’s a hello from my Daddy!

It’s easy to dismiss or completely miss little occurrences like these. However, sometimes too many related “coincidences” are stacked together that I must believe they were ordered by the Universe.

When writing about my experience of meeting Barry Manilow, I was reflecting on all of his concerts I’ve attended. One in particular stands out because a number of so-called coincidences taught me a valuable lesson.

In June 2002, I had to travel to Phoenix for a 2-week class about installing and administering the Microsoft Exchange 2000 email server and client programs. Yes, PHOENIX. In JUNE.

I didn’t want to be away from Drew that long, and I hate to be hot. Everyone assured me, “Phoenix is not like your hot and humid Atlanta summers. It’s a DRY heat.”

True, but it was 10-15 degrees warmer there and felt like sticking your head in an oven!

You can imagine my elation when my boss told me I could stay home, and she’d ensure that I would attend a local training class. Unfortunately, the project manager, who lived and worked in Phoenix, whined to the big boss about my lack of attendance. The big boss called my boss, who called me and gave me the bad news: start planning a trip to Phoenix.

I was completely pissed off about the prospect of attending this class and struggling to stay awake every day in a hot office with a bunch of my colleagues from across the country whom I didn’t know well as the project leader droned on endlessly about the intricacies of EMAIL for 2 loooonnnnggg weeks.

Ugh! Tarring a road would be a much worse job, but this seemed pretty bad. I absolutely did NOT want to to go!

Daddy told me that if I had to go to Phoenix, something good would come out of it.

On 6/6/02, I wrote in my journal to the Universe and my guardian angels:

Do you have some purpose in mind that is causing me to go to Phoenix on 6/17 for 2 weeks? Is something good supposed to come out of it? Please help me to understand the purpose for that trip. I’m still aggravated that I have to go.

While I could certainly entertain myself in my hotel room for the entire time, I hate to think that is what will happen. I won’t have a car, so I wouldn’t be able to meet anyone who could utilize me for v-o.

I’m wondering if I could work out something on the Friday that I leave. I will miss seeing Barry by 1 night as he will be in Tucson on Sat., 6/22. I was just thinking about trying to meet some casting people on Friday and staying to see Barry on Saturday. I don’t know whether I could work any of this out.

I spent the next few days trying to scrounge a ticket to Barry’s Tucson show at the Anselmo Valencia Amphitheater (yes, outdoors…in Tucson!) and could only find a lawn seat.

In a surprising and delightful twist, another fan whom I didn’t know saw my 6/10/02 post about tickets in the Barry news group. She emailed me the next day and told me she’d sell her 3rd row ticket to me at cost! I was beyond excited! She inexplicably waited 3 days before sending me the ticket to me via FedEx. I was so relieved when it arrived the day before I flew to Phoenix!

My 4+-hour flight seemed like an eternity. After I climbed into the window seat of a cramped row that didn’t recline because it might block the exit row, I then had to sit with my knees pressed against the back of the seat in front of me because that passenger leaned back practically in my face. How I wanted to rest my chin on the top of her seat and spit on her face!

While Atlanta enjoyed a sultry 91ºF day, the weather was a scorching 109ºF upon my arrival in Phoenix.

Linda from the NY office, whom I had just met on the first day of class, had rented a van for the duration of the class. She asked me to go sightseeing and to dinner with her after work. I was talking about renting a car for my 2-hour drive to Tucson on Saturday when she generously volunteered to drive me there!

We spent that Saturday doing fun, touristy things on the way to Tucson. After dropping me at the venue, Linda amused herself by photographing the the scenery outside and enjoying the air conditioning and games inside the Casino del Sol next to the amphitheater. The casino and amphitheater, which are owned by the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, sat on land covered with dirt, rocks, and cacti.

As I found my seat, I discovered that the 2 people sitting directly in front of me in row 2 had 3 big guide dogs with them. One dog belonged to Bob, and Debbie owned the other two.

As we chatted — and melted in the stifling 107ºF air — before the show, Bob told me he had Parkinson’s disease and epilepsy. He said he lived on Social Security payments and couldn’t even afford to buy a new CD. He and Debbie had taken the casino shuttle to get to the show. However, the last shuttle was leaving at 10:15pm, and the concert wouldn’t be over until 10:30pm or so.

Debbie asked if I could take Bob home. I decided that a man aged 50+ with Parkinson’s and epilepsy who was attending a Barry Manilow concert with his service dog posed little risk of being a serial killer! I called Linda to ask if she was allergic to dogs or would mind an unexpected passenger and side quest for a few miles. It turned out Bob’s house was only about a 10-minute detour for us on our way back to Phoenix. He profusely expressed his gratitude for our help.

Think about all the improbable “coincidences” the Universe arranged so that Bob and his dog could get home safely that night:

1. My work caused me to travel from Atlanta to Phoenix.
2. My boss was overruled about me missing the Phoenix class, making my appearance there truly a command performance.
3. I then realized I could see Barry in Tucson while I was in Arizona.
4. Another fan whom I didn’t know happened to see my message looking for tickets and sold me a fantastic 3rd row seat.
5. That person waited 3 days to send the ticket, but I received it just in time for my trip.
6. I sat directly behind Bob and his dog at the concert.
7. A co-worker who was new to me rented a van, not a car, and asked me to join her for meals after class.
8. She demonstrated incredible kindness in driving me to the show in a city 2 hours away, which is going way above and beyond, especially for someone you just met!
9. She agreed to take Bob and his big dog home in that spacious van that she happened to rent.

I think things happen for a reason. Often, though, we don’t know the reason because it’s not about us.

This time, the reason was very clear…and unforgettable.

That night taught me that when I’m facing some situation I don’t like, I should look for the gift and/or the way to be of service to someone else. I’m not always successful in adopting this mindset and therefore spend too much time and energy being angry about something I can’t change. When I remember to focus my attention on others, magic can happen!

By the way, Linda told me later that she won $35 that night at the casino. I’d say the Universe was smiling on her for all the help she gave to Bob and me!