It's A Small World After All - On A Disney Cruise!

So in some ways, it's been Old Home Week at Disney.  First of all, while we were doing the Family 5K on Saturday, one of the volunteers was Lu Anne, a lady I had manned a volunteer booth at a Disney race several years ago (we called our booth the LuAnne booth).  Then a few hours later, it was Aisling who was the volunteer coordinator for The Golf Channel at the PGA golf tournament at Disney (technically I didn't see her, until she pointed out that in Everley's diaper dash photo that I posted on fb, Aisling was the one passing out medals).  Then on the course, I saw Jeanne and her sweet sign.

Then, as our group had just boarded the Disney Dream ship and were walking to Cabanas for a late lunch, we were walking down the hall.  We passed a few people, but with boiled shrimp on our brains, we really didn't notice anybody.  At least until a lady said, "Luanne, is that you?" (or at least something like that to get my attention).  I looked over to her and it was SUZANNE BOATMAN!!  At least it used to be Suzanne Boatman about a zillion years ago when we grew up together in Starkville, Mississippi.  Of course, somewhere in those zillion years we both got married and had kids, but never really kept in contact until recently, and that was through fb.

Anyhow, we quickly got a little caught up, and then we each went our own way - she and her adult daughter one way, and our group the other.  I hoped that we would see each other again so we could catch up even more (and we probably could have, had I written down her stateroom number).  But it always seems on these cruises that you always see the same complete strangers, which we did.  We didn't see Suzanne and Jessie Elizabeth again - until we were all sitting on the beach at Serenity Bay and guess who walked past - you got it!  S and JE!!

They joined us in our spot, and we spent the next few hours in the sun and over lunch catching up.  It was a great treat, to see a friend from the by-gone days and see how life has turned out for them.  We had hoped that we might catch up another time, but with different dinner schedules and a short cruise, it didn't work out.  I'm just so thankful for those two chance encounters that we did have.

What were the chances that out of 4000 passengers, that there would be two childhood friends that would happen to catch up on old times?  What were the chances that one would just happen to be passing the other at just the right time?  What were the chances that one would even look up and notice the other, and then speak and jolt the other one into recognition?  What were the chances that one would be walking on the beach and another member of the group notice and call her over (let's face it - observant I'm apparently not).  What were the chances that any of this would happen?

It wasn't chance - it was God.  He thought a special treat on this trip would be a connection with a friend from the old days.  He was right - it was a treat that I really enjoyed.  Thanks Suzanne and Jessie Elizabeth - you made this cruise a special one!!

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The Good Stuff From Today:  Palo brunch; Pink snacks; Bingo