The Number 19

The number 19 has always been important in my life. It is like a sign post directing me along my path. It tells me if I am on the right track, good or bad. Sometimes bad things need to happen in order for good things to happen.

I am not a religious person. But, I do believe in a higher power. Is it God? Is it Fate? Is it Luck? I don't know. I think that is the most honest thing we can ever say about religion, I don't know. No one knows, not really. It is just "Faith". Faith in what they choose to have faith in. I don't know what the answer is, I only know what works for me, what I choose to have faith in. For me it is a simple number.

19, it is not just lucky for me, sometimes it is there when I am struggling, but it is my sign that the struggle is necessary for me to grow. 19 has been a part of my life for a long time.

My birthday is the 19th.

When I was young in elementary school, 19 would always pop up. It would be given to me, or just show up, I wouldn't look for it. I would be assigned books with the number on it, I would be assigned team shirts with the number on it. It just followed me around. There are many, many more examples of this happening.

Strange things would happen around 19... 

I would be on the train, reading or watching a dvd. I take this train everyday. I rarely look at the scenery, I have seen it all before. I am usually occupied. One morning I was watching a show on my portable DVD player and got distracted with my thoughts about a stressful event that was happening in my life at the time. I looked up and out the window. Just at THAT moment on my side of the train, we passed a very small square white sign that had only one thing on it, the number 19. I smiled, and my stress level lowered.

What are the chances of that happening? Just at the one second it would have taken for us to pass that sign I happened to look up and see that number fly by. There were other numbers along the track, I later noticed. But I looked up when the number 19 was being passed. Coincidence? I don't know.

Out to dinner. Our table was against this wall with all this elaborate piping and industrial looking design, hoses etc. I was looking at the design and my eyes finished just next to my chair where a little tiny sticker was on one of the pipes. The number 19. I looked all over the wall again to see if there were other numbers...none. Just one, next to me that read "19".

I would be walking in a mall and notice a TV playing news highlights and weather. I glance at it just when they do a close up of the back of a hockey player's jersey; number 19.

Happy things happen around 19...

Before we were married, my husband and I were travelling. We were on our way to Santorini Greece. I would later find out was the trip that my husband had chose to ask me to marry him. At the airport, Gate 19. On the plane, row 19. I mentioned to my husband that it looked like this was going to be a good trip. He started thinking, maybe there is something to this 19 thing...

Planning our wedding. We had chose a location and wanted a date in August. I called the location and they told me that unfortunately August was booked. They had only one date left for the summer and it was June 19th.

Moving into our new home. We looked at many locations and nothing felt like home. Finally I saw some pictures of a place that really spoke to me. This house looked perfect. The realtor hadn't found it, I thought, that's odd, it is just what we are looking for. When we decided we wanted to see it, we looked at the address. It was on 119th Avenue.

Finally feeling FREE from dieting! I started this new way of eating. I loved the freedom. It took me a few weeks before I realized the fasting period is 19 hours.

19 hours = Freedom!

What is your 19?