close call

yesterday, we went for a routine grocery shop, and then to the thrift store.  there, i found the two exact things i was looking for, an electric blanket for our chilly dog and a large storage cabinet.  leaving, driving that beige van home through the familiar old neighborhoods, and suddenly springs from nowhere, faster than lightning, the tiniest long haired chihuahua i'd ever seen. through the lawns and over the sidewalks, across one lane of traffic, he was headed straight towards our van.  watch out watch out!  i said, but james, having heard my co-pilot wolf cries before, didn't even flinch.  he didn't see the dog, but luckily, just for good measure, he tapped his brakes, and by some divine miracle we missed the chihuahua by inches. the dog fled on, oblivious, long golden hair blowing in the wind, through the neighborhoods and across the tracks to who knows where, spared by a millisecond from a cruel death by our van tires.

one second earlier, we would have hit the poor thing, ruining my day and the dog's.  one second later, we would have missed it altogether, never experiencing the close call that made us thank our lucky stars.  it just goes to show you how instantly everything can change.  in a moment of cosmic timing, the odds line up, and what happens seems fated.  it could be as simple as running into a long lost friend at the store, or missing a train, or witnessing an accident.  sometimes, is the timing in your life such that it feels unchangeable, and meant-to-be...as if there is some master scheme?