My entire life I've known about the little boy who was born on the same day as me, and whose mother shared the hospital room with my mother when we were born. I've known about him, because, tragically, he died. Of course, it's only natural to question why it was that I lived and he didn't, and I suppose through my life that has contributed in at least some small way to my motivation to live a good life. I haven't always succeeded, but I've always tried.
My mother told me this story and once in a while I would hear about the mother who shared a room with my own. I would hear about her because she knew about me. Once in a while I would hear that she had been following my life (as it's so easy to do in a small town, especially when I was quite involved with all kinds of activities). In this story, for the sake of privacy, I'll call her "Jane."
Fast forward to 2005. I was married to a military man, living in southern Arizona, and, like many horse-people do, looking at horses online. I came across a gorgeous blue-eyed tobiano with black "eyeliner" in Colorado, and I asked about her. She was sold already, her owner said, but she said she knew my stallion, Eddie, and had seen him before he got hurt, when he was being fit for his futurity. I was thrilled to meet someone who had "known" Eddie before his injury and neglect. We chatted some, and kept in touch after that. For privacy sake, I'll call her "Kacey."
Then, a little later, Eddie's sire came up for sale. I tried to purchase him (even paid for his coggins), but because of finances I had to renege on finalizing the deal. I felt terrible about not being able to buy him and give him a good retirement home, but my fears were eased when I heard that Kacey had co-purchased him with some other people in Colorado.
Kacey helped me get Eddie his AQHA papers. We also had a few horses exchanged between us, one of which she still has, and I very thankfully get updates on every so often. We keep in touch and she has helped me out in so many ways over the years. I've been blessed to have made a very good-hearted friend.
Then one day I received a Facebook message. It was from Jane. She had found me via Kacey's facebook "friends." She wrote me a lovely note and I've gotten to know her over the past few months. She is warm, kind-hearted, and a genuinely good person, so again, I've been blessed to have made another wonderful friend. Although she's known me my whole life, I'm so happy to have gotten to know her.
The real kicker here, though, is how Jane found me. The reason she was online friends with Kacey is that she is Kacey's step-mother. The little boy who passed away was Kacey's half-brother.
So, the woman who knew Eddie before he was hurt and whom I met online while living in Arizona was the sister of the little boy who was born the same day I was, whose mothers shared the same hospital room. What are the chances that our lives would intertwine so intimately?
I know I'll never be able to answer the haunting question as to why I lived and the little boy died. I feel very fortunate, though, to have made two great friends, and to have had the opportunity to live the life that I have.
“The world is too dangerous for anything but truth and too small for anything but love.” ~William Sloan
2 comments:
Isn't that coincidental that your lives intertwined. Neato.
Interesting coincidences. The world really is small and we are more connected than I think we actually understand. I bet that little boy would have really liked you. Maybe somewhere on the other side you'll meet and he'll tell you that.
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