The past two days were filled with amazing connections, insights, and impressions. I’m hyper focused right now on coincidence.

• Jon borrowed a book off my shelf to read on the plane. A collection of sports stories. Second story in the book was a Holocaust story about Kristallnacht, Hitler, and Max Schmeling – the German boxer defeated by Joe Louis. An hour after we got to the Museum, Jon saw this display:
• Later, ninety-four year old Holocaust survivor, Renee Firestone, riveted our group with the story of Hitler’s rise to power, her family’s persecution in the concentration camps, and her incredible reunion with her brother after the war when they miraculously ended up in the same place at the same time.
• On the plane home, our flight attendant, Andy, gave a shout out to all the teachers on the plane. Then as we were coming in for a landing, he personalized it – thanking his favorite teacher ever, Mrs. Ann-Marie Walters. She was his teacher years ago when he was in high school.

Three seemingly coincidental experiences I witnessed over several hours. Maybe inconsequential. But I can’t help thinking there’s a message here. And it may be as simple as this: We are called on to pay attention. To share stories. To bear witness. To acknowledge the invisible threads that connect us all. To be open to the miraculous and the ordinary. To be ever thankful, ever present, ever alive in hope and wonder.