Welcome to Spring and the May Newsletter
As it often happens, this month’s message took an unexpected turn – sparked by a conversation during a zoom meeting and a podcast that gave me pause in the best way.
Earlier today, I was listening to the Living in the Miracle Zone podcast with Eben Pagan. As the name suggests, it explores the presence of miracles in our everyday lives. In this episode, Pagan mentioned a mathematician who calculated the probability of witnessing a miracle once per month. Naturally, I did a bit of sleuthing and discovered he was likely referring to John Edensor Littlewood, a mathematician from Cambridge University.
Littlewood proposed what’s now known as Littlewood’s Law of Miracles, which suggests that a one-in-a-million event will occur about once a month for each of us. His logic? During our waking hours – about 8 hours a day- we experience roughly one event per second. That adds up to about one million events every 35 days. So statistically, a “miracle” (a one-in-a-million event) should happen about once a month. What might feel miraculous, then, may simply be inevitable.
Back to my meeting…
On the first Monday of every month, I join a small finance therapy group. Today, there were just three of us. One participant – we’ll call him Kevin – joined us from Calgary, where he was visiting for his father’s 80th birthday. Without enough clothes packed, he was doing laundry and took the call from his sister’s room, unclothed and unable to turn on his camera.
Another participant – we’ll call her Karen – joked “There’s got to be something you can put on. Maybe a pink robe?” We couldn’t see much in the room due to his blurred background, but sure enough, Kevin looked behind the door…and there it was: a pink robe which he wore for the entire meeting.
I’ve never actually seen a pink robe before, I’d call that a one-in-a-million moment.
It was a beautiful reminder that the universe may not always give us what we want, but it always finds a way to give us what we need – sometimes with a touch of humour.
I keep a running journal of these kinds of moments – ones that seem wildly improbable yet unfold effortlessly. One of my favourites happened almost eight years ago.
I’ve always loved animals, especially cats, and have had them all my life. Being such a cat lover means I’m often the first person people call when they find a stray or need to rehome a cat. About nine years ago, I lost my soulmate cat and had room in both my home and heart for another.
That’s when I heard about a kitty whose owner had passed away. His name was Buddy. He was terrified when he arrived, but quickly became one of the sweetest animals I’d ever encountered. I would have loved to keep him – if only he’d gotten along with my other cat. Buddy, was an orange tabby, and from then on, I decided the next cat I adopted would also be an orange tabby, for their sweet and loving nature.
Just one month after I reluctantly returned Buddy, a neighbour knocked on my door. A four-month-old orange tabby kitten had been dodging traffic outside my house. She asked if I could keep him for at least the night.
That little cat became Ollie, the sweetest boy I could have ever asked for.
This month I invite you to reflect on the one-in-a-million events in your life. How did they arrive? What did they bring you?
And if none comes to mind – start looking. According to Littlewood’s Law, your next miracle might just be around the corner.
Thank you for reading. I wish you a lifetime of miracles.
P.S. A friend and regular reader recently told me she often forwards my newsletter to others who might enjoy it. If you know someone who would appreciate these monthly reflections, feel free to share their email with me – I’d love to add them to the list.
Thank you for reading. With warmest wishes, Your WILDFIT coach.
