Once I travelled south to New York City with my daughter for the day to see a show and go back home again. On the same day, another woman travelled north with her son to see the same show. We sat a row apart and did not meet.

She reads Shauna Niequist, loves her family like crazy, and feels her work as a vocation. So do I. She puts her heart out for the world to see, and sometimes feels scared by how vulnerable that makes her. I can relate. She sees and appreciates beauty. She is altruistic, idealistic, faithful, and empathetic. She loves Lin-Manuel Miranda, encouraging people, and following her inner heart’s voice to bring light to the world. This last bit, I hope to do as well as she.

We have not met, though I have a feeling we will, one day. Her words always sound and feel like something I think and would say. I have a feeling that our children who sat with us at that show that day would click and get along. After all, they have Hamilton, and fiercely devoted mothers in common. What else would they need?

Before the internet, there would be no hope of finding a connection with someone with a like-spirit like this. Thankfully, we connected, and her words and actions have made me want to be better, to step out more in service of others. She’s doing an amazing thing, helping a family to live and breathe a little easier, and if you’d like to help a person you’ve never met do something wonderful, there’s a link at the bottom of this piece to help you do just that.

For today, I’m thinking about how our two threads got woven together in one spot, one room on one day, in one city  in which neither of us live, the odds of it. And it helps me to know that all is not chaos, but directed, slowly, as a melody forms. From nothing to beauty, just like that. I think we just need to be willing to be open, to have eyes to see, to click ‘accept’ on a friend request, to listen with a quieted spirit, to say hello to a stranger in a crowd, to allow our threads to be woven together in such a way that it makes something beautiful out of nothing. It only takes an open heart and eyes to see our sisters and brothers that we haven’t met yet.  Just imagine what could happen when we do.

Please consider helping my friend use her unique gifts to help a family in need: https://www.gofundme.com/jalaybrian

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