Are you familiar with the word “synchronicity”? When my son, Marshall, told me what I was experiencing occasionally were synchronicities, it was the first time I’d heard it. They’ve occurred many, many times in my life, but I never knew the term for them.
This is the definition in the dictionary:
“an apparently meaningful coincidence in time of two or more similar or identical events that are casually unrelated.”
Here’s an example of a simple synchronicity: you’re reading a book while the tv is on. At the exact second you read a particular word in the book, a person on tv says that same word. They can be much more complex, but that gives you an idea.
Since synchronicities seem to happen to me quite often, I’ve started making note of them, and will share the most impressive ones here from time to time.
Yesterday morning, I experienced what, to me, qualifies as a synchronicity. Let me set it up for you: just last week I had taken some photos of my in-laws’ elderly kitty, Bob-tail. Sadly, Bob-tail passed away just a couple of days ago, on Wednesday. Yesterday morning, I sent one of the pictures to my mother-in-law by e-mail.
A little while later, not realizing that my photo program, with the picture of Bob-tail, was still open in the background, I was listening to a song, “How Long”, by The Eagles, on You-tube. I reduced the You-tube screen, and saw the photo of Bob-tail.
“How Long” was still playing on my computer. The line of the song that I heard right when I saw the picture?
“I’ve run just as far as I can run”.
Whenever a synchronicity occurs, I’m always struck with the thought: “Wow, I can’t believe that just happened”.
Do these happen to you? Or did you just learn a new word? If so, you can thank Marshall.
these days of mine 
I’m so sorry to hear that Bob-tail passed away…I know MM Keen will miss him/her. When I saw the picture, I looked and looked and was wondering why you’d posted a picture of a shed, then my old eyes finally saw little black Bob-tail…she has run as far as she can…back across the Rainbow Bridge to her other home!
… and once you start noticing them, you start to notice more ….
Yes, they happen to me. Honestly, I believe it happens to us all. It would seem the more you are aware of it the more a person seems to notice. Or maybe it’s the other way around?
What I’ve often wondered is, does it mean anything? Maybe. Maybe not.
(Excellent idea that you are writing them down!)
I never knew it had a name. Thanks Marshall!
Hey, was there a movie with the same name? “Synchronicity” just sounds familiar and it shouldn’t.
Sorry to hear about Bob-tail. In the 80’s we had a sweet barn cat just about like him.
So sorry to hear of the passing of your son-in-law’s cat. (Our cat is named T-Bob, so your story certainly caught my attention.)
Last fall I wrote a piece entitled “Coincidences, Serendipity or Life’s Small Miracles.” Thank you for adding this word to a class of experiences I have certainly noticed. For example, before my father passed my mother had been on a hunt for a ruby bracelet. Months later after he died, she found the perfect bracelet while on a shopping trip with my sister. When they both got home home, she found in the box a packing note the size of a fortune cookie slip of paper, “Packed by S de K”, my father’s initials!!! I still reflect and wonder how to classify that experience…coincidence, serendipity, a miracle…and now synchronicity.
Oh, sorry about that sweet kitty… That’s a lovely photo, btw.
Yes, synchronicities have happened to me – sometimes in spurts, then nothing for a long time. I believe it is other souls or your own higher self trying to communicate with you in some way. I’ve run into the ‘333’ phenomenon on occasion too – where you look wake up in the middle of the night and look at the clock and it’s exactly 3:33 – and this happens for several nights in a row. Or you’re driving around, and you glance at your odometer at the exact moment it reads 33.3 or the clock at the bank, etc. The first couple of times it happened, I was wondering what the significance of it was, so I googled the meaning of 333. Turns out there’s a whole community out there of folks who’ve experienced this. Some believe it is evil. I prefer (like so many others) to think of it as divine guidance. 🙂
I love the photo of the kitty by the shed. Glorious. I’m so sorry he has passed away. Love this post. I will have to be more aware from now on.
That was pretty amazing! And I DID learn a new word today…
Thanks, Marshall!
Hi! thanks to Marshall, I now know what it means. I had never given it much thought, but will from now on……..It’s it good to have a knowledgeable son—–sometimes!!!!!—-jj
I’m going to try and use that word in a sentence today or throw it up casually at a dinner party tonight to make myself appear really smart! 🙂 ha-ha, jk. Thanks Marshall!
Saddened by the loss of a beloved pet.
I have heard of synchronicity, from a book I was reading. I have noticed little coincidences, and agree that when made aware of them, they are more noticeable.
I have heard the word, but it was never defined for me. I think Bob-tail is great tail for a cat!
Okay, I just noticed that I said “great tail for a cat”! That was supposed to be “a great name for a cat”.
So sorry that Bob-tail passed over. I know how saddening the loss of a pet can be. 😦
My last sync was a few weeks ago when I mentioned an author to my sis that I’d never mentioned before nor had I thought of the author in years. When I looked the author up on the internet to send a link to my sis, I read that the author had released a new book that very day. It was one of those ‘uncanny moments of sync’. I enjoy moments like that. 🙂
So that’s what you call it? I have it often along with deja vu. David thinks I might be a witch!
cute little guy… :o(
i think if each of us paid more attention to our surroundings, we’d encounter plenty of synchronized occurrences.
oops. that little emoticon wasn’t planned. consider it a sad face…
That happens to me all the time and I love it. I never had a word for it though. I think of these things either as signs that you’re supposed to pause and pay attention or as a message you need to hear – “It will be all right” or “It’s time to follow that dream.”
So sorry about Bob-tail, but how lovely that you caught that line in that moment.
Thanks for the post! My whole blog is nothing but such tales of weird coincidences – love having them, sharing them, and reading the tales from others … keep paying attention! 🙂