A Nice Bit of Serendipity

10/8/10:                                      

Thursday was the day we met with Sister Steadman, so I was on campus earlier than usual.  I began at the writer’s clinic in the library.  After the clinic, I tried to find an open computer to revise my paper before meeting with Sister Steadman.  That is a busy place.  I was tired from days of working on our writing assignment and studying for the mid-term that I had taken the evening before.  When I’m tired I get easily confused and my sense of order is worse than when I’m not tired—I forget and misplace things.  I finally got a computer and quickly realized it was too loud in that room even with my noise filters in.  I gathered up my things and headed to the computer lab across form Sister Steadman’s room—only to find out a class had scheduled to meet there.  I looked over my paper—unable to do anything on it officially without the use of a computer—and somehow realized I didn’t have my recorder.  That was not a good thing for two reasons: I can’t afford a new one, and the class information on it is necessary for me.  I felt a bit of panic at the loss and desperately wanted to go searching for it right that minute.  But I didn’t have time to go to the library and back before my scheduled meeting.  Wait, is there silence coming from her room?  Yes.  I checked and she had time to see me in that moment—she had two no-shows.  Thirteen minutes later I was quickly and anxiously entering the library. 

I have three children at BYU—two daughters and a son-in-law.  I noticed Dave out of the corner of my eye.  (Do I stop?  Will I somehow miss out on finding my recorder?) I slow my pace to stop and say hello and spot Rebekah next to him.  They see me and there facial expressions turn to excitement.  (It is always nice when anyone is excited to see me!)  Then as I turn to see who the third person in their party is, I know why.  It’s Rachael!  All four of us, unplanned and unbeknownst to each other had showed up at the very same spot on campus at the same time.  What are the chances of that?  This was the first time they had seen me “as a student.”  “Look at you, Mom!” “You’re so cute with your lunch bag and rolling backpack…in your little sweats…”  (Little is a term they can apply to me as they are all larger than I am.) It is nice when your kids think you are cute—even with a rolling backpack that I only see instructors using—apparently instructors don’t care about being cool either.  And I’ll have to start carrying my little red lunch bag outside my backpack regularly now, as it obviously adds to the “cute” look.  What a great moment; family reunion in the library.  (Too bad I didn’t have enough in my little red lunch bag to share.)  And all because I was confused, lost my recorder and two people didn’t show up for their scheduled meetings.  And yes, someone turned in my recorder; it is safely back in my possession…until next time.