Coincidences be Puzzling

When Emmy was still here this summer, we looked for jigsaw puzzles that we could put together well, together. We were getting really into playing games -real games-, not computer ones. In fact, when I cleaned up a bunch of my stuff recently, I managed to fill a whole plastic crate thing with game stuff we used like the card games he's left behind, among many other things, like the scrabble game we bought together while he was here.  I also added in the crossword book I've had since I was little that's mostly unanswered. We took to giving it a go when we ran out of games, which happened since we played a lot, especially during times when the internet or even electricity was out of order.

I really feel grateful that he encourages things like this to bond over that allows us to connect by actually disconnecting -from the internet, or even watching films, even though that's usually nice. There's something endearing and refreshing about doing activities one would have done if they were back again in the 90's, tactile things that require focus, interaction, and well.. allows eyes to rest from constant strain from using the computer.

We never really found a good jigsaw puzzle while he was here, they were either too easy, or too expensive. Sometimes, you'd find one with a price you'd almost be willing to spend - if it wasn't so ugly.

So when I walked around National Bookstore (unsurprisingly) and saw a 500 PIECE puzzle worth only 134 pesos, i knew it was a rare, amazing deal. ESPECIALLY since the images were not ugly. I wasn't even particularly looking for a puzzle at the time! It was a magical moment.

Two in particular caught my attention. One was a saily ship and the other one was a painting of a nice house with lots of flowers that reminded me a lot of What Dreams May Come which I'd just rewatched the day before. The house reminded me more of myself while the ship reminded me of Emmy... He LOVES big boats. Also I'd mistaken the flag to be french because it was so small on the image. I decided to take the ship. First, it was much more challenging because of the amount of space that was just basically sky and sea (I had a rare mood of bravery) Second, it makes sense to get the one that reminds me of Emmy since I don't think I'd have noticed it had he not inspired me to look for puzzles!

(Third, there was only one of this and two of the other one... I actually might come back to try and get it too.)

When I got home, I told him the great news and showed him a picture of the box.

He then asked me if I could see the name... That's when I realised it might have not been a French ship after all. I suddenly noticed additional insignia on the tiny liddol flag on the illustration. I told him it looks something like... "CVAVATEMOC". My slight disappointment was short-lived, however, when I found out that the reason he asked me was because it looked familiar...

...because he had been on this very ship before.

How in the~

..................................

HOW AMAZING IS THAT?!?!?!

So not only did I chance upon a really good puzzle with a really good price that reminded me enough of Emmy to be perfect for the purpose of coping with not having him here to play games with, the ship in the damn photo had to actually even be a ship that he had actually been on before when he was little.

for contrast, here's an angle wherein the flag is super huge for a change

It's called Cuauhtemoc and it's Mexican. But since thinking it's French sold me on it, it's kind of serendipitous that I had a colorblind moment.

I've been having a grand ol' time piecing it together so far. It's my VERY FIRST ADULT SIZED JIGSAW PUZZLE. I've never even done a hundred piece puzzle before, not even a fifty piece one. So this is kinda huge for me. Literally too. For a sedentary person though puzzles can be a bit of a work out I now realise. But that might just be due to my decision to do everything on the floor.

Had an uncanny coincidence like this happened years ago, I know how I would have reacted, what I would have thought. I would have immediately thought something magical or otherwordly was orchestrating it... But now that I've grown up (yes, grown up enough for a grown up puzzle!) I can see that coincidences are amazing on their own. Dare I say, they are even more amazing because  they are random. As my former superstitious self, I would have looked for signs to believe something is right for me, and when I get signs, I ask for signs to tell me that they mean what I hope they mean.

 But now I take "signs" like these to be things that make real things extra good... Coincidences are not a means to an end anymore but their very own amazing wonderful magical selves. I already know what my relationship means to me. I already know we will both stay together for as long as we can. And our chances at making it depend on just luck, circumstance, and mostly our own will and doing. Just like any other couple. I don't need signs. But surprises like these are welcome. And will most likely be framed in our living room in the future.