Albert Einstein said, “Coincidence is God’s way of remaining Anonymous.”
I’m not smart enough to explain his theory of relativity to you, but let me take a crack at explaining why I feel he was right about coincidence.
On a warm sunny day in late May of 1973, I pushed open a door at the end of a hallway in Bellaire High School and entered an outdoor courtyard. At the exact same time, on the opposite side of the courtyard, a door opened and a girl with long brown hair and blue eyes rushed out wearing bell-bottom jeans and a gray Ohio State t-shirt. I see the moment vividly as I write this. Fortunately, a good friend of mine was nearby to answer what is probably the most important question of my life: “Who is that girl?”
The following day, armed with her name, I asked another friend if she knew the girl who had caught my eye.
“She’s my cousin.”
Fifteen minutes later, we were introduced. A week later, we went on our first date to a class picnic.
It wasn’t love at first sight, but we spent the summer getting to know each other. We discovered we had a great deal in common. Our relationship grew stronger, and while I was thankful for the chance meeting on that May afternoon, I soon learned there was yet another coincidence to consider. This girl I had fallen for had been born on Long Island. She moved to Ohio when she was four years old. Her father was from Ohio, but he had married a New Yorker. He had convinced that New Yorker to move to Ohio to raise their family. That move occurred at least a dozen years before I could appreciate its significance.
As I’m sure you have guessed, I married that girl and have somehow managed to keep her mine through 37 years of marriage and four grown children. She is, and always has been, my love, my rock and my best friend. When I think about what would have happened in my life had these coincidences not occurred, I think about Albert Einstein’s quote and realize I was never in trouble. God was in control. He was just choosing to be anonymous.
Happy 37th Denise Liberati! I love you now more than ever.