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Friday 3 May 2019

Serial serendipity

How can it be that from all the generations that have come before us, you and I happen to be here? Can you imagine the good fortune which brought us to this day?


In my own family, I think of my father’s paternal side and how things could have gone so differently for my brother and me. For example, dad’s father survived in a family devastated by tuberculosis. That grandfather didn't join the military to serve in the First World War where so many Newfoundland men served and died. My grandfather had a job on the railway and didn’t enlist in the Newfoundland Regiment to fight in Europe. He followed his brothers who worked on the Newfoundland Railway.


My maternal great grandfather travelled to Newfoundland in the late 1800s. His line had survived the Irish Potato Famine. The journey to Newfoundland must have been perilous for all of my ancestral lines. Then many of them fished the North Atlantic in dories and survived to have families. 


Foremothers survived all of the dangers and diseases of the time and childbirth to deliver a live baby. Many children died at birth and from disease as babies or youth but in a long long of predecessors, ours didn’t.


How many dangers did we personally survive to be here today? In my own life, there were several times my life was endangered. I almost drowned the year I finished high school, saving a friend. Another time, on the highway, my husband and I passed a transport truck. A part of the muffler of the truck flew off and slammed into the passenger side of the car where I was sitting. Luckily it hit the post between the front and back doors, at the level of my head though. The post was badly dented. This was prior to our daughter’s birth. 


Generations of your forefathers and foremothers and mine survived the circumstances and conditions of their time in human history which led to us being here today. We won the lottery!


So much of what happens in our lives is serendipitous. Our existence involves serial serendipity in fact, or as some believe, we are part of a Divine plan.


Whatever you believe, enjoy every minute! Many didn't have the opportunity.

22 comments:

DJan said...

I think of this sometimes, Marie. And it is amazing that we are here at all. I love your post and find it fascinating to think of how many friends I now have simply because of the internet, another amazing serendipity. Thank you for a thoughtful post to begin my day. :-)

Anvilcloud said...

And if any pair of a forebears hadn't conceived exactly when they did, we wouldn't be here. We did win the lottery, particularly to live in this time and place.

John "By Stargoose And Hanglands" said...

My parents only met because my mother and her siblings were evacuated from London during the war. She always said it was the only good thing that Hitler ever did!

eileeninmd said...

Hello,

I try not to think of the bad things. I am thankful for my ancestors and that we are all here. Happy Friday, enjoy your day. Have a great weekend!

Celia said...

Truly amazing isn't it. That we are here and who we are is a whirl of the wheel of fortune indeed.

Rhodesia said...

So very true and I have my family tree back to the 1500's I often wonder how fate got some of the people together!! Happy Weekend Diane

William Kendall said...

That would be an experience one would never forget.

Ruth Hiebert said...

I personally believe that I am here because God wants me to be here right now.When we look back it is nothing short of amazing that we are here today.

Bill said...

Good thoughts to keep in mind. I'm very thankful to be where I am today and that is due to my paternal grandmother who was born here and left for America back in 1900. Because she was born here, I got citizenship through descent. All I had to do was get the papers proving I was her grandson and send the application to Dublin. I was amazed that I could do that and am very thankful for that.
Wonderful post, Marie.

Elephant's Child said...

Serial serendipity is a truly wonderful term. And something for which I am grateful.

Barbara said...

So true. I consider myself lucky that accident's in life (like you described) and my own stupidity didn't get me killed. I'm glad to still be here shaking my head at my luck.

Sandy said...

Very interesting post. How nice you know so much about your ancestral family. My Mothers family came from England, but I don't know why. They've been here for such a very long time. Most fought in wars which forever changed some of them. My Dad's side came from Germany, migrated during difficult times with very little of former wealth. Once they rebuilt some, there was a terrible fire in the town that wiped out many families and many businesses. The family had far less after that, which I'm sure shape the future generations living arrangements.

Debra She Who Seeks said...

Yes, it's a wonder that any of us are here at all, quite frankly.

Joanne Noragon said...

I've traced my family back a few generations. Famines, hunger, quasi-slavery has influenced many lives.

baili said...

this is excellent post dear Marie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

life is full of surprises good or bad though!

how amazing that you know lot about your family survival ,this is something very special and satisfactory

i too feel so peaceful when i look back and find that from where my roots belong

your title for post fits more when i reach to words about that horrible accident you survived from
yes you are part of divine plan and same incidents reveal same fact throughout my life when i sit ,remember and ponder

thank you for being here and for sharing your heart my friend!

Debbie said...

a nice post marie...we don't often think about much of this!!

i have had a few close calls, car accidents for me, but i have been lucky and i surely know it!! have a joy filled weekend!!

Debbie said...

love, love, love the new header!!!

Retired Knitter said...

I always feel it is a miracle that am here right from the moment of conception. So many competing sperm after one egg - and the successful one produced me! Life is a miracle no matter how you look at it.

Angela said...

Words of wisdom and deep thoughts Marie. I too had so many close calls so of course there is a divine plan for each of us to be here!! Thank you!

John's Island said...

Hi Marie, First of all, thank you for stopping by my blog and leaving me a kind comment. Now, you have written a wonderful post here, and I must say I agree with you wholeheartedly. Sometimes, these thoughts of how lucky I am to be enjoying my eighth decade, occur to me when I hear some naive youngster make a snide remark about "old people". They don't realize they are going to need some serendipity if they hope to enjoy a long life themselves. And yes, we must enjoy every minute. Thank you for sharing your blog. Hope to see you again at mine. Have a good rest of the weekend. John PS I love your header ... beautiful country!

PerthDailyPhoto said...

So true Marie. My dad survived the second world war when so many didn't. I survived a serious car accident as did my son, who now has my two beautiful grandchildren. There is a grand plan I'm sure. Your new header shot is too gorgeous 💙

Rick (Ratty) said...

This is a very good blog post. I think of my family origins a lot. I tracked my ancestors and did a DNA test. It's so interesting how even my most recent ancestors were tough enough to survive such hardships that I can barely even imagine.