Serendipity

Serendipity means a "happy accident" or "pleasant surprise"; a fortunate mistake. Specifically, the accident of finding something good or useful while not specifically searching for it.

[Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serendipity ]

I'm not sure if I would consider this serendipity but the man I met at Starbucks sure did.

I'm sure a lot of you will be disinterested in this post but I really wanted to share it as the encounter that had made my day.

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So it's Saturday morning and I'm in the Starbucks line when this older gentleman walks up to me and touches my arm. The conversation went as follows:

Bill: You have Bernard written on your arm
Me: Ya, I got it tattooed down in Miami a few years back.
Bill: And who is Bernard?
Me: He's my grandfather.
Bill: Is he still alive or did he pass on?
Me: He passed away a few years back.
Bill: O, I'm so sorry to hear. Was he sick?
Me: Ya, I pretty much lived with him until I was 13. He had a clean bill of health for the majority of his life and then a few years before passing, he developed prostate cancer and multiple other types.
Bill: That's very unfortunate. And you got his name tattooed? That's absolutely magical. And your grandmother?
Me: My grandmothers still alive.
Bill: Is she well?
Me: She's ok. She has some things going on but overall, she's good. I got my nan to kiss an envelope a few years back and I'm actually gonna get her lips tattooed over his name. Lipstick is like her trademark haha
Bill: That's magical.

With that, Bill gets his latte and his banana muffin and blueberry muffin for he and his wife and he leaves and to walk to his table. I order my americano and then he reappears, asking if I'd mind going over to the his table and meeting his wife.
I walk over to the table and he introduces us.

Bill: This is Victoria. She's a magical girl. She's special. Tell my wife about your tattoo.

*so I begin to tell her the story that I had previously told him
*she looks interested but a little embarrassed

Bill: Do you believe in good luck, Victoria?
Me: I do.
Bill: Hold out your hand.

*Bill hands me a tiny little hand-pained lady bug

Bill: What does this symbolise? 
Me: It's symbolises good luck.
Bill: That's right. Not many people believe in good luck. Not many people believe in ladybugs.
Me: Thank you.
Bill: I want you to have this, too.

*Bill hands me a second ladybug

Bill: Close your hands in mine and repeat after me. "With this ladybug, I give you good luck. I give you the fortune of health. The fortune to forgive bad health and to look forward to good health". I want you to do the same with this lady bug in your grandmothers hand. It's to wish her the fortune of good health.
Me: I will. I promise. I believe in good luck with ladybugs. I don't really like ladybugs but you obviously saw that I have one tattooed on my shoulder?
Bill: WHAT? WHERE? SHOW US!

*I showed the tattoo.

Bill: I honestly had no idea. You believe in luck. You have a ladybug. That's a moment of serendipity. It was magical meeting you. Enjoy your day and good luck with everything.
*Bills face literally dropped and turned white.

I thought this was a genuinely nice gesture. I loved the interaction I had with this man and I loved how he viewed everything. There is nothing better than a stranger doing such a nice act for another. This encounter started my day off superb! He was the sweetest gentleman, EVER! And I am eternally grateful to have meet such a guy <3


*Note: I know his name is Bill cause the Starbucks lady called him by his first name as he ordered his 'regular'.
**Note: There may be some discrepancies within the above but it's pretty accurate as to how the conversation went.


Have you ever had a stranger do something like this? Have you ever had someone walk up to you and give you a gift? This was a touching moment for me and it is definitely a moment I will never forget. :)

Thank you, Starbucks Bill!