Serendipitous moments are few and far between in any of our lives. When they happen we should deeply cherish those moments and what they bring.
Case in point. I follow an Intasgram account of a German shepherd who actually paints for charity. They went on a trip in Canada to a park called Beautiful Joe Park in Meaford, Ontario.
In the post they explained about the inspiration behind the park.
Beautiful Joe’s story is told in a book written by Margaret Marshall Saunders in 1893. It is an autobiography told from Joe’s perspective.
By 1900, over 800,000 copies had sold in the U.S., 40,000 in Canada and 100,000 in the United Kingdom.
Beautiful Joe brought awareness to the issue of animal cruelty and abuse. He became one of the most influential dogs in history.
Serendipity stepped in because months ago I photographed this book at my favorite store, The Nest Egg in Lubbock. I photographed it because I loved the cover. At the time I photographed it, I had no idea of its historical significance.
Immediately when I read Schultz’s post visiting the park, I was like no way. I begin searching for the photo I took. It no longer on my phone and stored on external hard drive.
Immediately I texted Susan who owns the Nest Egg to see if the book was still there. With no response after my car was serviced on Friday, I stopped by the Nest Egg. Susan was there and I teased her for not answering her phone.
Immediately, I went to the shelf in the small back room and there was the Beautiful Joe book.
I screamed.
After realizing the significance of Beautiful Joe, it was a book that I knew I must read. While it’s not the original 1893 edition, now would not that be an awesome thing to lay my hands on , this is still Beautiful Joe’s story wrapped up in a 1950s edition.
If I didn’t love dogs, and if I didn’t love books, then this little serendipitous moment would have never happened.
And if stores like the Nest Egg didn’t exist, to the friendship that has deepened over the years, then this serendipitous moment most certainly would’ve never happened.
After my precious book score, we talked about my book, turquoise, and the current state of politics. It became more of moment of being present than shopping. Naturally, I had to photograph the book one last time in the store.
My advice to you all of you who are friends or follow me is this:
Take photographs of the things that draw your attention. Follow cool dog accounts on Instagram and other social media. Find a favorite store that makes you feel like you are home. Strike up convos that can lead to friendships. Be in the moments of life, not on your phone. Be thankful when God allows you to make the book your own. Be thankful for the serendipitous moments when they come in your life. Then pay it forward.
Forgotten Winds 