The Other Side of Nice

It’s a small world!
We’ve all said it. We’ve all heard it. That moment when you meet someone who knows your cousin’s best friend’s sister — even though they grew up hours away — and you just kind of laugh and shake your head like, How is that even possible?

But the older I get, the more I realize… it’s not just coincidence.

There’s something strangely intentional about the people we cross paths with. The way certain souls seem to orbit closer, no matter where life has scattered us. The way strangers become friends, and friends lead us to lessons, and lessons lead us to growth we never could’ve planned.

The more I pay attention, the more I’m convinced; our connections aren’t random.

Some people show up briefly, just long enough to teach us something or open a door we didn’t even know existed. Others arrive like déjà vu, as if we’ve known them long before we actually met (I have that connection with a friend who moved here from Alberta over 20 years ago). Sometimes the “small world” moments are just little winks from the universe — reminders that we’re all far more connected than we realize.

And the more these moments happen, the more I realize they’re not accidents at all. These coincidences — or what we call coincidences — feel more like gentle reminders that our lives are woven together in ways we don’t fully understand. Almost like there’s an invisible string (that one’s for you Jordyn) pulling the right people, the right experiences, and even the right lessons into our path exactly when we need them.

That’s what made me start thinking more deeply about timing, connection, and the bigger picture behind it all. Because if the universe can align two strangers who should’ve never crossed paths, then maybe it can also align the things we’ve been waiting for, the healing we’re working through, or the opportunities that seem to show up out of nowhere.

Maybe these “small world” moments are actually small signs — signs that there is a rhythm to all of this, even when we can’t see it. Signs that something larger is quietly at work. And that’s exactly what led me into my reflections on divine timing… and recently, what I learned while reading Journey of Souls.

I find comfort in the whole idea of divine timing. Have you ever noticed that life has its own rhythm and that things unfold when we least expect it?

I used to wonder what I was doing wrong or why I seemed to miss certain opportunities. Looking back now, I can see it clearly; the things I wanted so badly, the moments I tried to force, the opportunities that slipped away — they weren’t meant for me. Not then and sometimes not ever. There was always something better waiting, or something that needed me to grow into it first.

That’s the part no one prepares you for; alignment doesn’t run on our schedule. The people, opportunities, lessons, and healing arrive when we are truly ready to receive them, not when our impatience tells us we should be.

There were times in my life where I felt completely stuck and that I’d never see the end of something bad that I was going through. Everyone else seemed to be moving forward while I stood still, wondering what was wrong with me. But what I didn’t realize was that “standing still” was actually preparation. It was healing and learning to trust myself again, to set boundaries and to listen to my intuition. I wasn’t being punished I was being prepared.

The detours that my life has taken all aligned me with who I was becoming.  The job that didn’t work out, the friendship that drifted away, the relationship that fell apart….they were all meant to happen. Not every delay is a denial, sometimes it’s protection, redirection, and honestly sometimes you have to realize it’s simply not your time yet.

My son and I were just talking about this very thing recently. A year ago, he was absolutely convinced his world was falling apart and trying to figure out how to build the life he needed for himself and his son. But now, looking back, he can see that everything guided him to someone who fits him in a deeper, more genuine way. It reminded both of us that even when life feels uncertain, there is purpose woven into the waiting.

As I mentioned, I just finished an audiobook a friend recommended called Journey of Souls and it hit me so deeply when I started getting into the meat of it all. The idea that our souls choose experiences, challenges, and even people? Chills! They are not here to hurt us, but to teach us, transform us, and help us evolve — there’s something strangely comforting in that.

At first, the idea of souls planning their lessons felt far-fetched but the more I listened, chapter after chapter, the more I found myself at peace with the possibility. What struck me most was how purposeful everything seemed in those stories, even the painful parts. The souls in the book didn’t come here to coast through easy lives; they came to learn. That made me pause. It made me look back at the hard things I’ve gone through and wonder if maybe they weren’t random after all. Maybe there really is meaning woven through the mess — we just can’t always see it while we’re in it.

I thought about the people in my own life — the ones who have loved me, challenged me, disappointed me, or changed me. What if these relationships weren’t random? What if they were chosen? What if the very things that broke me open were part of a larger plan my soul agreed to long before I got here?

I don’t know if I believe every detail in the book, but I know this; it softened something in me. It made me wonder if maybe divine timing isn’t just about the universe aligning things for us, but also about our souls guiding us toward the experiences that will help us become who we’re meant to be. Maybe we’re not just stumbling around, trying to survive, maybe we’re growing in ways our souls already planned long before we got here.

Growth takes time. Pain takes time. Becoming takes time.

If you’re feeling a bit uncertain, where doors are closing or nothing seems to be moving forward, I hope you can hold onto this:

You’re not late.
You’re not forgotten.
You’re not failing.

You’re unfolding.

You’re learning.
You’re being shaped.
You’re being prepared for something you can’t see yet.

Divine timing isn’t about sitting back and waiting, it’s about trusting that while you’re doing your part, the universe (or God, or your soul, or whatever you believe in) is doing its part too. Aligning people, moments, and lessons in ways you can’t yet imagine.

And sometimes, divine timing is simply the universe or your soul whispering:

✨ In time, it all makes sense.