Second Chances and Trusting the Process

It was unbelievable the way I made it back to Fort Myers Beach in May 2023. I woke up in my favorite place on Earth June 1st last year.

The first time any doubts arose about moving back here came a few months in, maybe 2.5. It was on a hot, summer night, AC barely able to cope, my mind doing too much thinking, that I began to question my future here. I put on a Reiki video and the one leading the YouTube meditation and Reiki session said, “Trust the process.” It was as if she was speaking right into my soul in that moment.

So I let go of worry and doubt and decided to TRUST the Universe. It had gotten me back here after a couple of really tough years.

It was the end of September when I learned, during Revive The Vibe, a one-year Hurricane Ian commemorative event, that my ex-girlfriend from 10 years ago was again single. A couple months later, I learned through another mutual friend that she was living on the beach…the beach we fell in love with.

I blogged in the first two months of our life together in Bonita Springs that I felt like I’d been given Three Chances at Life. It was 2013 and Lynn Farber had caught me completely by surprise and swept me off my feet. But when our relationship stalled and I moved away from our Mango Street rental on FMB, I had no hope of ever seeing her or speaking to her again. She refused to see me in April 2014 when I came back to the beach for my things. And once back on our seven mile stretch of beach last year, she made it her mission to avoid me.

That all changed three weeks ago.

And when the Universe gave us a second chance at love and reconnection, we jumped in with our entire person! “Trust the process,” I was told last summer. I did. I also followed my gut instinct and waited for her to reach out. That first text came three weeks ago, yesterday.

We are both incredibly lucky and grateful to be handed this priceless gift. We don’t take it lightly. We have both committed to giving this relationship our all! I am ALL IN, as is she.

I have my person back!

Many people never find their person. Even fewer get more than one chance to make it work. We squandered our first chance. We’ve learned and grown. We have decided to trust again and make this leap together. Where the Universe takes us is anybody’s guess. I remain open to possibility, all options on the table, no holding anything back this time.

Serendipity...hope.

I am hoping for serendipity to take hold.

If two planets are met to collide, is there anything on this Earth, or within the realm of human possibilities, that can stop this cosmic intent?

In the not-so-distant past, I believed that someone very special was brought into my galaxy. I thought about the two of us as planets orbiting in very close proximity. I believed that we were on a crash course brought forth by destiny, or you might call it serendipity. For I never saw it coming. I certainly wasn't looking for it.

In this twist of fate that even I couldn't have written in a romance novel, I found this person orbiting in my galaxy. She was within reach. She was BEYOND anything that I could have hoped for, or even dreamed possible.

Circumstances forced me far away from her, but she was never out of my mind. Though, I sought to replace her, erased her photos from my phone, even wrote her a card basically wishing her a nice life...still...

Last night, she came to me in a dream. We hit it off like old friends. She was as familiar to me as a favorite sweatshirt when the crisp fall air of November requires an extra layer of warmth. And she fit right in with my family, as if hand to glove.

I don't put too much stock in dreams, but this was evidence of my subconscious stirring. She's always been there. Stirring. In the background.

Back when we were orbiting, I felt that it was a sure thing. Circumstance and perfect timing put us in each other's pathway. We struck a chord immediately and became good friends, but had to keep a professional distance. Secretly, we communicated electronically and shared some laughs and some tears, our joys and frustrations. In my mind's eye, I could see us planning a future together. I even prayed for guidance--to my ancestors, to the stars, to anyone "out there" listening.

There was one night in particular, I will never forget. Lying on my back in the late summer grass, looking up at a multitude of stars, I was overcome with a moment of humility and gratefulness. I thanked the Universe for being so gracious and kind to me, serendipitous, if you will. At that point in time, I just knew our two orbits would some day collide. It was written in the stars. We were on a very similar timeline, and in a similar situation in life.

So now that I am some distance away, and I've basically removed myself from her life, does that space, distance or time really mean anything? Is there really anything I could do to thwart the hand of fate? I was kind in my letter to her and I wished her nothing but the best.

But if my instincts were right, she hasn't written me off or forgotten about me. If we were meant to find each other at the most unexpected time and place, and our future is already written cosmically, is there any force on Earth that can stop that from coming to fruition? I can't fathom that there is.

Yet, it seems so wildly speculative and unimaginable at this particular juncture.

My plan is to live in Florida at the coast. Her's, as far as I could tell, was to live on the opposite coast. Will we somehow find our way back to each other? Only time will tell.

Today, all I can do is hope.

Serendipity...that's my hope.