I wait by the garden gate,
While by the spring you search for me
You look under rock and stone
When I’m the gentle turn of key
What you search for may be grand
What you want may be divine
yet what you get may not be quite
what you really had in mind!

So fold your maps; put them away!
Read a book and have some tea.
What you long for is fine, I know,
But faery gifts are what you need!
Though it’s true I can be found,
You do not plot a course for me,
I find you, my darling one,
For I am Serendipity!

The term “serendipity” means an accidental discovery or fortunate chance. Serendipity is a gift found while you are busy looking for something else! There is no searching for serendipity, for serendipity only comes when you least expect it.

Many have had the pleasure of the company of serendipity, and in fact many scientists and philosophers owe their success to this fortuitous event. The planet Uranus was discovered by William Herschel while he was busy looking for a comet!

To receive the gifts of serendipity we have to be happily going along our way, busy with other things. This means that it is very important to be living in the moment, not the past, nor the future.

When we have a problem, we may long for a serendipitous occurrence to give us clarity and direction. However, the greater our longing for serendipity, the further serendipity seems to drift away.

Think of serendipity as a shy, but generous, spirit. Her treasures are many and her fortune is meant to be shared, but she cannot approach if a watchful eye is kept alert for her presence. She waits patiently for you to be fully present in your life; living every moment as a divine miracle so that your attentions are drawn into your own life and away from her. This means releasing all your cares and concerns to a higher power. Only then can she hope to get close enough to impart her gifts.

To dance with serendipity is to dance with life, and all the pleasures it has to offer. However these pleasures can only be won when we give gratitude the devotion it deserves. For as shy as serendipity may be, gratitude longs for attention. And giving attention to gratitude will surely inspire a visit from serendipity.