While I have many, many stories, this is one that stands out for me.
About 17 years ago, I lived with a partner who had a teenage daughter whom I got on with quite well. But of course I wasn't her mother so she didn't share all her intimate life with me. She had a few friends but was recovering from recently breaking up with her boyfriend, Joe, whom she claimed had tried to punch her in the face. I shall call her Leah here (all names changed to protect confidentiality).
One early evening in our house, I was upstairs when the phone downstairs rang. I suddenly felt sick terror as Leah picked up the receiver, cutting off the ringing. I didn't want to eaves drop, but became agitated and worried as I heard Leah's muted voice below. I saw in my mind, Leah leaving the house and felt a gut wrenching feeling of danger!
Leah hung up the phone just as I reached the bottom of the stairs. She didn't say what the phone call was, but looking at my face (now white with fear), said "what's up with you?"
I replied, as evenly as I could, " I didn't hear your phone call, nor do you need to tell me what it was about, but if you are planning on going out tonight, please, please don't because I think something really bad will happen to you."
Like most teenagers, Leah looked at me with a contemptuous roll of her eyes. But I continued, " no, really, I will feel so upset if you go out tonight... Why not change it to another night...anything, just not tonight! " Leah softened her gaze. I had never been one to lay down hard rules, but something must have told her to consider my words because she said, "OK, I won't go out if it will make you feel better." She looked concerned. I managed a wan smile and a faint "thanks, it will."
Weeks went by, and neither Leah or I mentioned that phone call, and then one day she came home after a shopping trip. "Hey, do you remember that phone call I got, the one that you flipped out about and asked me to stay in the house?" Leah asked. I nodded. She went on, " Well I met Clair today, I haven't seen her for ages. It was Clair that called that night. Clair is the girlfriend of one of Joe's friends. Well apparently some of Joe's friends said they were all getting together and had asked Clair to ask me to go to along that night too for a party. When I saw her today, she said it was so good that I never turned up. Unknown to her, Joe's friends were all pretty mad that I had split up with him, and they were going to beat me up. Clair said she didn't know that when she called me that night, and said she was sorry.
So, you were right, I would have been in danger if I'd gone out that night. Thanks."
With that bombshell of news, Leah turned away and went off to her bedroom seemingly unfazed. I was shaking. How close was that!
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Your story is incredible and actually makes a lot of sense. Have you heard of the 99 monkeys theory?
Apparently, scientists put 100 monkeys on one island and 99 monkeys on a different nearby island. On the island with 99 monkeys, the scientists taught a monkey how to peel a banana. The monkey progressively began teaching the other monkeys one-by-one how to peel a banana, until all of the monkeys could perform the task. However, on the other island, they did not teach the 100 monkeys this task.
One day, about 3 months later, a monkey on the 100M-island began to peel bananas and eventually, all if not most, of the monkeys began to perform the task of peeling a banana without having contact with the monkeys on the other island. The idea behind this is that we are all linked in someway and that information can be processed metaphysically and in many different ways. Ie) you think of someone you haven't seen in years and suddenly, they contact you. You might have a bad feeling about driving and there is a car accident. You see a number and it appears elsewhere.
I especially believe that if and when you care about someone, that you feel so deeply for that person that you can sometimes (with a bit of luck) get some help.
I hope that your life is full of blessings and that you keep yourself open to the good that you can do if you guard your heart.
Note: I am not comparing us to monkeys, it was a study.