unexpected

un·ex·pect·ed:  [uhn-ik-spek-tid]

~ADJECTIVE:  NOT EXPECTED; UNFORESEEN; SURPRISING~

i had dinner with a “new” friend a few weeks ago.  it was the first time that she and i had hung out independent of our respective men folk.   i’m not going to lie, i was a little nervous at first. 

okay.  a lot nervous. 

i didn’t know how it was going to go or what we would talk about, especially seeing as how i am notorious for not opening up to new people. 

(oh that pesky past….how it will creep up on you when you least expect it….)

we placed our orders and we began a casual chat about the food.

which quickly turned into a conversation about the present…. and about our pasts….and about learning to let go.

we got philosophical.

towards the end of the evening, my dinner companion was reflecting on the current state of her life.  she tilted her head as she determined the perfect descriptive word.

after a brief pause, she used the word content.

i looked at her and said, “santosha?”

little did she know it, but that was a serious shift in pattern for me.  i don’t typically go throwing sanskrit around unless i'm pretty sure my audience is of the yoga practicing variety.  i understand that not everyone wants a dissertation on the 8-limbed path.

(warning:  i will go all passionate yogini if one does ask me anything about yoga.  so, i know from whence i speak when referring to a dissertation on the 8-limbed path.)

so, i try to respect that we each have our own journey and what works for me, may not work for somebody else and that in itself, is awesome.

however, in that moment, being present,  i threw caution to the wind.  i just blurted it out without the least bit of hesitation.

her response?

a smile, a nod, and “yes, santosha.”

it was a beautiful and unexpected moment.

one that i easily could’ve never experienced.

if i had thought about the past…or if I told myself (like I have done so many times) it is dangerous to open up to new people (you could get your heart broken, after all)…or if i had checked my phone for a text, a call, a “like” on facebook…

i would’ve missed it.

i would’ve missed connecting in a very unique way that i would’ve never anticipated.

i would’ve missed the opportunity to place one more stone in the new foundation of friendship.

but, i didn’t.

by divine grace, i remained open and present.

i just adore that.

those wonderfully beautiful and lovely moments that could slip right by, but don’t.

the evening was fantastically unexpected.

xoxox-