Unexpected consequences often occur after choices are made unintentionally. In my life, most choices with unintended results eventually generated a positive purpose. The following unusual stories are shared in my Personal Experiences book:
*.How I unintentionally became a HS Varsity Cheerleader.
*.How I unintentionally met a college basketball player when I was a college cheerleader.
*.How I unintentionally got engaged and married even though I never had a boyfriend.
*.How I unintentionally earned a degree without participating in any campus classes during my senior year of college.
*.How I unintentionally earned a BA with a major in a field in which most entry-level jobs occurred evenings and weekends, a schedule I did not want to work.
*.How I unintentionally was hired for my perfect career position—weekdays, daytime hours.
*.How I unintentionally was elected to the WA State Board of Directors for the Washington State Association of Senior Centers.
*.How we unintentionally moved 100 miles away, built our dream home and had to ‘give our house away’ only 18 months later.
*.How we unintentionally bought the house we now live in.
*.How we hosted a retirement party 9 months in advance which unintentionally appeared to be providentially-timed. Why? Because 3 months before my June 30, 2020 declared retirement date, “in-person gatherings” became illegal due to a global Coronavirus Pandemic.
*.How Hamilton, the Musical unintentionally changed my life and inspired me to launch this “empty next” adventure (NOTE: See article section for a link to our Hamilton in Puerto Rico adventure stories).
*.How my husband miraculously recovered from a life-threatening health condition that was not caused by any kind of unintentional choice (NOTE: See article section for a link to our miraculous recovery story details).
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NEWSFLASH! May 17, 2020 ~ My mom and dad met when she was a 16 year-old washer-girl for WWII servicemen in the Philippines and he was a 33 year-old Army soldier in the Filipino infantry who needed his clothes washed.
After a 5 year pen-pal letter exchange, she thought he was too old so she attempted to scare him away by mentioning marriage. The letter backfired and she unintentionally got engaged.
After one of our daily phone calls during the Coronavirus Pandemic lock-down, I realized that it might be fun to incorporate my parents’ unintentional choice stories in with my husband’s and my adventures in a personal experience book for friends and family.
Stay tuned, more enhanced and expanded stories to come. My mom’s unintentional choices definitely had at least one major purpose: ME!
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NEWS UPDATE: January 7, 2022 ~ My mother moved to her heavenly mansion this afternoon. While it is a sad event and we miss her, we are grateful that we (my brother, sister, and I) were with her when she moved peacefully and painlessly. We were also appreciative that although she nearly died of congestive heart failure and stage 5 renal failure in mid-April, 2021, she surprised the doctors who thought she might not survive until Mother’s Day. Gradually, she began to recover.
Doctors were ready to discharge her in mid-May but a routine COVID 19 test came back positive on May 19. Mom became extremely depressed due to the pain and isolation, and often called out “Lord, take me now.” The hospital chaplain had arranged for our family to visit her via Zoom on an iPad. When we reminded Mom of our upcoming annual family gathering in mid-July, she changed her thoughts saying, “Never mind, Lord. Don’t take me yet.”
She rallied and surprised the doctors again. She successfully completed physical therapy, recovered, and was discharged on June 17, 2021, just after her 92nd birthday. She was able to attend our July family gathering and enjoyed one last event with most of our family present. We were able to spend many more months with her, reading her Bible, watching her favorite TV shows, singing her familiar hymns and praying with her every night. I was also able to clarify uncertain aspects of her family stories, The extra time beyond the doctor’s—and Hospice staff’s—expectations was a blessing for all of us.
MEMORIAL UPDATE: Saturday, July 16, 2022 ~ A Celebration of Life for Mom held in Eastern Washington was attended by an unexpected overflow crowd . Her ashes were mixed with Dad’s ashes and and a portion was interred in a special case associated with his favorite hobby—his fishing tackle box. After family members filled mini-urns with their combined ashes, the remainder will be sprinkled in the Columbia River. Hopefully, gradually, eventually…they will find their way back to the Philippine Islands, where our family legacy began during WWII.