Serendipity

Serendipity - a term I seldom hear. When I do, I gloss over its meaning, sliding right on by its history and delight. Horace Walpole coined it in the mid 1700’s after stumbling upon an ancient Persian tale called “The Three Princes of Serendip” while searching for something else. It means experiencing positive events by happenstance or finding beneficial, happy things you’re not looking for. The word boasts a day of its own - August 18.

Googling serendipity brought to mind a favorite word - rummage. Because I’m not an organized gal, I’m no stranger to the activity. Daily I rummage through something. Upon hearing it or saying it, my mind embarks on a rummaging spree within my brain. I’ve just rummaged through these memories.

A forgotten purse. It’s like discovering a time capsule. I might find ticket stubs, the long lost earring to remake a pair, receipts that log an excursion or two and money, usually coins. The bottom of a purse and all its pockets can hide a ton!

Grandma’s box of fabric scraps. Jackpot! I could stay busy for hours cutting and hand-stitching bean bags and choosing the perfect patterns for doll clothes - that Momo designed and sewed on her treadle machine. Hours of bean bag games and fashion shows ensued.

The other Grandma’s bookshelves. She lost to fire the books I loved flipping through before I could read all the words. In my hands they were rare treasures I was cheated of examining with eyes that understood. Later shelves sheltered new treasures - mostly collections of items Momo Tom used in her crafts - balls of bread wrapper ‘yarn’ and egg carton cutouts for art projects - and more books. She always had books.

Shoeboxes of pictures. More accurately - shoeboxes of ancestral history, triggers for stories and tons of memories.

Serendipity has come to call while writing this column. I will watch for it more often.