Ridiculously blessed

“Chasing the light doesn’t necessarily look good on paper.”—Heidi Hook

Many years ago, I created an iPhone app called “Planet Goodwill: 365 Ways to Share the Love.” For each day of the year, it suggested a simple (very simple) act of random kindness that anybody could do anywhere.

It included leaving a cupcake for your mailman or taking a flower to your favorite barista. When I say I created it, I came up with the idea, wrote the copy and secured the photos that popped up to announce each day’s fun new act of generosity.

The technical part of the app was handled by a company in California that soon went under and the app disappeared, although I still have its beautiful icon on my phone.

And I still hang on to the intention of spreading a little bit of light each day whether it’s a simple “thinking of you” text or a secret love note left on a stranger’s car windshield or — as I’m choosing to do today –a blog post that celebrates the ridiculously beautiful things that keep landing in my inbox. Like the video of the crow helping a hedgehog across the street or the note of synchronicity from a reader whose bill for 22 things at Costco came to exactly $222 at :22 after the hour.  

I especially got a kick out of this story of synchronicity, shared with me by John Milton Branton at JMB Films:

“Dear Pam

I’m driving my sons to school when I notice a mini-trampoline that someone has placed beside the road. I decide I’ll come back and scope it out later, which I do.

I park a few houses away and notice, directly across from where I’ve parked, a little free library. Now I’ve driven down this street many times, probably daily for the last month, and I never saw this take-one/leave-one library before.

I’m going through the books and I see this E-Cubed title, decide it’s some kind of math book – ugh – and pass over it. Nothing interests me, but as I’m about to leave E-Cubed falls off the shelf and I catch it. Okay, so maybe it leaped into my hands. I see it’s not a math book and, well, it’s calling “take me home, take me home.” Which I do.

Part 2. I have a lot of books and a lot of rewriting to do so E-Cubed ends up on a table beside my desk for a day or two. As I’m not reading anything for pleasure at the moment, I pick it up and start browsing. Pretty soon, I’m reading huge chunks of it at a time. It’s definitely got my attention.

Part 3. I read the part about the butterfly experiment from E-Squared. And I think, well I’ll give that a try. And I’m thinking, it’s January in Vancouver and there’s snow in the forecast so “there ain’t gonna be no butterflies. “Bring it on, Universe,” I say anyway. “Show yourself.”

Part 4. My son and I make a trip to Urgent Care because we both have coughs that aren’t going away. His blood work comes back showing pneumonia. I’ve just got the normal respiratory virus that’s making the rounds so I’ll just have to tough it out. He gets the drugs.

A few hours later the prescription’s ready and I hop into the car to head to the pharmacy. I start the car, the radio comes on with a song I’ve never heard before. It’s soft and soulful and makes me calm and peaceful. I look at the readout of the song title on the screen, “God, will heal you,” it says. Whoa. Message from the Universe? Pretty hard to deny but it ain’t no butterfly!

Part 5. I’m wandering through my local Shopper’s Drug Mart and decide I better stock up on Kleenex. I pass a shelf full of Kleenex but decide to pick it up on my way out since my hands are full and I don’t have a shopping cart. I’m on a completely different aisle and there’s a smaller Kleenex display on a low shelf – packages of six wrapped together. And they’re on sale. I bend down to grab a pack and I notice the design on the boxes is butterflies – lots and lots of big fat butterflies! And not just butterflies but words in Latin. Maximus: highest; Purus-pure; vitae-life; Highest pure life! And butterflies. On a Kleenex box.

I surrender.”

Thank you, John, for sharing the love. And for reminding us all that miracles are always around for those with the eyes to see them.

And thanks to each of you for promising to have the very best weekend of your life.

#222 Forever!

Pam Grout is the author of 20 books including E-Squared, E-Cubed, Thank & Grow Rich and her latest book, The Course in Miracles Experiment: A Starter Kit for Rewiring Your Mind (And Therefore Your World)