Message from My Other Husband?

This morning, something magical happened. Maybe it was a coincidence, or maybe it was a sign. Or maybe it was a message. I’m still not certain exactly what it was. Nick thinks it was evidence of a husband I have in an alternate reality.

I was reading, as is my predawn habit. The book was What Comes Next and How to Like It by one of my absolute favorite authors, Abigail Thomas. It’s a memoir written in short vignettes, her trademark style. Some are a page long, others just a paragraph.

Her words are spare, but paint a clear portrait and create real emotion, plus they are so very smart, thought-provoking, and often wicked funny. I bought the book in hardback from Amazon because it’s not often found in bookstores anymore (it was published in 2015 and for the memoir section in most bookstores, that’s way too old). I’d just finished her most recent (Still Life at Eighty) and wanted to go back to this one but couldn’t find my copy.

Anyway, she was writing about the time she went to training to be a hospice volunteer. They had to do an exercise to help them understand what it was like to be a hospice volunteer. It was to list three people dear to them, three things they cherished, three things they enjoy, and three things about themselves they valued.

At the bottom of the page, there was handwriting. Which seemed odd, since I believed I had purchased a new book. But what was odder, were the answers:

Cara is not a common name, especially spelled with a ‘C.’ When I was a kid, I always wanted those personalized door plates or little license plates for your bike, or even a key chain with my name on it, but there was never, ever a ‘Cara’ in the selection at any store at the beach or even in Spencer Gifts.

As I said, maybe it means nothing. Nick thinks the last person to read this particular copy of the book must be married to someone named Cara. (Hmm. Guess I make the list of the three people he cherishes.)

As I was pondering this, I noticed I had a message. It was from a kid in a youth group I used to lead (who is now probably approaching middle age!). His Facebook account had been hacked and he’d created a new one and sent me a message to let me know he’d sent a friend request. Here’s what he wrote:

I loved all those kids, even the ones who snuck out on work camps to smoke (or steal canoes or pierce something). But I haven’t thought about those days in a long time. When I do think about those days, I think more along the lines of – ‘I had no idea what I was doing. I was so young. They should have never trusted me with their children, especially driving a 15-passenger van.’

It was an unexpected start to my day. I took it as a message – what I do and say matters to people, so I should choose my actions and my words with care. It’s true for all of us. I hope you know that, even if you don’t get a message from a would-have-been husband or a grown-up kid.

I’ve been reflecting and writing a lot lately about intentional living (and you thought I only wrote about dogs!). I’m working on something special, but yesterday after I got off a call with my agent, in which I briefly shared the project but felt kind of silly, I had my doubts.

This morning was like one big ‘Go Girl!’ from the universe.

Words matter.

Yours do too. I’d love to hear from you. Have you ever gotten a message from the universe?

Hey, thanks for reading. I know you’ve got lots of options, so thanks for sharing a few of your minutes with me.

Honored,

Cara

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My latest novel, Blind Turn is a mother-daughter story of forgiveness in the aftermath of a fatal texting and driving accident. It won the Womens Fiction category of the American Writing Awards. Learn more about it and find out how to get your copy here.