Perfect Timing
by Molly Jo Realy (@MollyJoRealy)
Perfect timing. It’s something we all experience. Sometimes it’s scheduled: You leave for work at the same moment each weekday because you know the ebb and flow of traffic will get you there on time. Your eggs come off the frypan just as the toaster pops up your darkened bread. These are moments we create and manipulate.
What about those ahhmazing moments we don’t plan for? You find a quarter just before renting the cart at Aldi’s. You randomly bump into someone you were just thinking about (NOTE TO SELF: stalking George Clooney or Harry Connick, Jr. doesn’t count!). A piece of mail arrives with information you kept meaning to ask about. {And I kid you not, as I write this sentence, my friend Josie Siler just messaged to ask if I received a package she sent me! Y’all. I can’t make this stuff up. See? Perfect timing.
Well played, universe. Well played.
And my favorite: You receive an answer before you actually pray about it.
Call it kismet, serendipity, or happenstance. It’s those moments when things happily collide to create ~ wait for it ~ something called coincidence.
In life, timing is essential. We are ruled by our calendars, our clocks, our smart watches. But when something magical happens in those moments, it’s nothing less than perfect. We want or need something and bam! there it is.
The same is true in books. Whether you’re a reader or a writer, you know what I’m talking about. How often do characters encounter such moments?
A shadow moved next to me. “Hey.”
“Ted?” Not fair. He wore that purple pinstripe shirt I’d always loved on him.
I stood on my toes to reach him before remembering to be mad. “Are you following me?”
“Happenstance, Gypsy. I was in the corner and saw you walk in. Bucket list, remember?”
“You’re always showing up,” I said.
“Better than always leaving.” That cursed smile invited me.
“Truth?” He continued. “I’ve been trying to find you. Went to a few places I thought you might be at.”
“Why didn’t you call?” I tapped my phone.
“Would you have answered?”
~excerpt from NOLA
I’ve been finding pennies everywhere again. You know my Penny Parable. Well, if you’re a subscriber to my website, you should have the eBook. If you’re not, sign up and you’ll get it in your inbox!
These pennies are arriving at strange and amazing places, and at times when I’m fatigued and in need of forward movement … and they all direct back toward writing! How fulfilling is that?
Like last week when, after three years of living in the South, I finally unboxed my autographed Flashpoint poster to hang in my hallway … and underneath that box was a penny! Or three days ago as I was setting up my wares for the craft fair, and a penny was caught in the eye of a mardi gras mask! And let’s not forget filling the tank at the gas station on my way to the Yellow Owl Inn to interview a subject … and I found five pennies and a dime! Woo, I’m rich!
How about the text from a client telling me she wants to keep in touch with her teachers. Right after I voiced to a friend how I wanted to start an online course for writing and book building. [Ooh. That’s somethin y’all would support, yah? Let’s discuss further at a later date…]
These, my friend, are all moments of perfect timing. Inspirational, encouraging, “see, I told you so” moments of validation.
As I started to write this post, I Googled “hemingway time quote” and found the one used on the featured image. But right below it was another quote:
“Do not worry. You have always written before and you will write now.”
~Ernest Hemingway
See? Perfectly timed validation.
But don’t take my word for it. Y’all have your own elements the cosmos likes to throw at ya, amiright? How ’bout the person who wants to cook more and finds the perfect recipe on the back of a magazine she hadn’t looked at before? Or the animal trainer who gets a new client right when she needs it. Let’s not forget the shy kid at school who makes eye contact with the newcomer, and they become instant best friends. All these and more are exceptional moments.
Just before I left my job in California, my boss and I had a charming exchange.
HIM: You’re really moving.
ME: Yes. You’re going to miss me.
HIM: Not as much as you think.
ME: More than you think. I’m irreplaceable.
HIM: But you’re leaving.
ME: Yes.
HIM: You haven’t found a job yet.
ME: Nope.
HIM: You don’t have a place to live.
ME: Exciting, isn’t it?
HIM: You sold your house in two days.
ME: Right?
HIM: You’re leaving.
ME: Yup.
ME: *two days later* The house is gone, I have a job, I have an apartment, and I’m leaving tomorrow.
HIM: But you’re irreplaceable.
ME: And also unforgettable.
Okay, so maybe in translation the conversation leaves out the cosmos and kismet parts. Point is, all the elements did line up in superior fashion to move me to the South.
ME: Whatcha doing end of October?
BROTHER: Why?
ME: Wanna drive me cross-country?
BROTHER: Ohmagosh. You’re doing it. You’re moving.
ME: Yup.
BROTHER: Molly, you have picked the absolute most terrible time to ask. This is my busy season. I’m working 60, 70 hours a week now through February. When were you thinking?
ME: I’d like to leave the first part of October, but realistically it will be the end.
BROTHER: I have exactly one weekend free now through February. And it’s end of October. I’m not kidding. I want to rest. I don’t want to commit to anything.
ME: I’ll take it!
BROTHER: You can’t.. You haven’t even listed your house. You don’t know how long it will take you to sell it and get packed and do stuff.
ME: *laugh* It’s so cute that you think God hasn’t already put this on your calendar.
BROTHER: Yeah, well. Talk to me after the house sells.
ME: *three weeks later* So. Whatcha doin end of October?
BROTHER: *sigh* Driving you cross-country.
ME: #truestory
How does the universe conspire to bring you great moments of validation at just the right time? #MollyJosJournals: Perfect Timing: some pennies, some magic, and two favorite #hemingway quotes. #perfecttiming Click To TweetYOUR TURN TUESDAY:
How does the universe conspire to bring you great moments of validation at just the right time? Do you have stories of perfect timing?
Drop a comment and share!
Come alive and stay wild,
Author of the romantic location mystery novel, NOLA, Molly Jo Realy is an award-winning writer and author coach. Known as the Bohemian Hurricane, she encourages people to embrace their unique talents to come alive and stay wild every day. Addicted to cats, coffee, and pens in no particular order.
Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more fun!
BTW: At the end of each post, I will share social media or marketing links, like this:
Save 40% on the Book Builder Binder now through October 20, with coupon code “CRAFTY2021”
Follow me on Instagram through the month of October for your daily #bookbuilderchallenge posts! Come create the story that’s inside you!
God does orchestrate blessings along the path, to be discovered exactly when we need them! So encouraging 💕
Thank you. It always amazes me how God orchestrates the tiniest word from a friend, or an unexpected phone call, to come at just the right moment.
Molly Jo recently posted…Perfect Timing