coincidences are spiritual puns

Today we're going to talk a little bit about kismet, because not only is it a wicked-cool word, but it's also a quick one-line definition of my life right now. Yep. Go ahead. Look it up. Right there in the dictionary:

E⋅liz⋅a⋅beth /ɪˈlɪzəbəθ/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [i-liz-uh-buhth], Life of (noun): kismet.
See also fate, destiny.

First, Indonesia. If you know me very well, you know that this is the last possible place anyone would guess to put me in the world. (I thought so, too.) Yet---aside from the fact that the instant I read it I felt like I'd known it all along---I have all sorts of connections to the place. As my mum wrote in an email this morning, any more Indonesia in our circles and in our circles come up? Which is a phrase we Rhondeaus like to use when we want to say it's a small world after all. A few of these circles so far:

my first semester at BYU, I went to this lecture by Dr. Alwi Shihab
and took extensive notes, one of which was
one day, I'd like to see Indonesia.

the day before I opened my call, my supervisor
was teasing me that I'd be sent to Indonesia

because, strangely enough

my coworker served his mission there and
my other coworker did, too.

(which is really extraordinary when you consider
how small this mission is compared to others)

and also

my former Young Women's president knows
an entire family in Jakarta
plus
the mission's Assistant to the President

and then there's

my Aussie friend Kelsie
who just happens to have studied Indonesian
for the past five years
and just last night
taught me how to say "My name is . . "
{ nama saya elizabeth }

More updates as they come, I suppose---but it is a little strange, isn't it? Ten years ago I was taking art lessons from Dulsi, painting wax onto cotton and dyeing my hands blue (I drew a cat), and now I'm headed for the world's batik capital.

Second, Love. There's been a lot of this about lately---all of it happy---and we're starting to wonder. The very fact that Ren and I are BFF is a tad cosmic, and as you might read from the following list, it seems that one thing has led to the other:

A SERIES OF KISMETICAL EVENTS
or, How Fate Led Them Together
{ by Ren }

PART ONE:

.I decide not to room with Sharlie

.You say you want to be with someone with Italian experience

.We are together

PART TWO:

.We decide to live together

.Sharlie bails on us

.The Kismet house fails

.Kismet House 2 is a leaky mess

.We end up at The Plaza

PART THREE:

.Mel is lovable and we adopt her as a friend immediately

.I fall inexplicably, awkwardly, in love with Crevt.

.Mel breaks up with her boyfriend.

PART FOUR:

.You and I decide to celebrate Casimir Pulaski Day and Mel loves the idea

.Mel notices Mike in the directory -- We all freak out.

.We take a picture with him

.You and I rave about how cute they are together

.and continually convince her they'd be a great couple

PART FIVE:

.You lock me out

.Holiday discussion with Mike

.Plant-a-flower-day (including dirt-digging day)

.Love children--I mean, flowers--are born--I mean, planted.

PART SIX:

.Mike makes it happen

PREQUEL:

.Mike has always loved her

Need more convincing? I had just finished typing Today we're going to talk a little bit about kismet into this post box when Ren's email with the above list showed up in my inbox. Whatever way you hack at it, something's up---and while there are coincidences, there's also kismet. And I like to believe in the latter.

{ magnolia via andrew daniel, who I heart a very lot }
+
{ post title by G.K. Chesterton. I heart him, too }