Serendipity means achieving something good through luck.

Whether accidental or with divine intervention, neither can explain why things happen the way that they do.

I personally believe that nothing is accidental. I accept as true that we are where we are supposed to be every day, every minute.

Sometimes when we want something to happen in our lives and it doesn’t turn out the way we envisioned, it’s disappointing.

Witnessing other people’s serious problems, I think there-but-for-the-grace-of-God-go-I. That could be me, but not today and I try humbly to be grateful for that.

However, I trust that there are reasons for this that we aren’t aware of in the bigger scheme of things. I am where I’m supposed to be, releasing control to a higher power. Take away the self-doubt and live your life.

Weighing heavy on my heart is the fact that people are transient. Jobs move people around like they’re pawns on a board with no attach-ments.

Becoming rooted in a community takes time, effort and the willingness to accept new faces and ideas. Being established with friends, schools, church and neighborhoods makes it downright hard to move away.

On the flip side, our economy depends on just that: Job openings, houses/apartments to buy or rent, and plenty of people willing and able to relocate to a new city searching for a better life. That’s the American way.

Peeking at the 2006 to 2008 median housing charts provided by the Housing Intelligence for the Seattle, Tacoma and Bellevue areas, the trends are clear. Housing sales are down, the jobless rate is up, and yet, people move every day. It’s old, dreary news about the abysmal house sales.

Since that’s a fact, I’m confused as to why our house value on our property taxes increased by approximately 25 percent over last year’s assessment.

My husband claims those figures are educated guesswork because the market changes so quickly. Well, I guess I don’t like that answer anymore than the reality that we would never be able to sell our house for as much value as that little white card indicates. The bottom line for me is that something is only truly worth what someone is willing to pay. I reflect on that while viewing neighbors’ real estate signs.

It takes a certain mentality to up and leave everything you know and love behind. I am conscious of e-mail, cell phones, and yes, the good old-fashioned U.S. postal system available to keep in touch. It just isn’t the same thing as seeing the person with your own eyes. Saying goodbye in our incredibly connected world is still difficult.

And yet, saying hello to someone new is fresh with possibilities. This acceptance is what I hope my adventurous friends discover.

September is always melancholy for me anyway, but when friends go away, it adds to the depressing realities of life.

Well, it’s not normal for humans to be happy all the time. It’s perfectly OK to feel downhearted when you’re suddenly realizing there’s a huge hole in your social calendar that can’t be filled. I’m thankful for the memories of shared comradeship. And sad for what will never be again.

But if we’d turned a different corner, then we never would have met. And it wasn’t serendipity — it was meant to be.

Federal Way resident Jan Hallahan is a writer and busy mom. Contact: Jan12160@yahoo.com.