Meet Susie. We have known of each other for years because her husband was a part of the City of Temecula and was involved with the Sister City Association, as was I. We never really got to know one another even though we have lived just around the corner from one another since 2000.

In 2024, at a holiday party thrown for Japanese delegates, we sat at the same table and had our first real chat. It was not only delightful but serendipitous, too.
Through getting to know one another by asking all the usual questions, it turns out that Steve and Susie not only grew up in Whittier but they also went to school together for YEARS (elementary and junior high).
In addition, Susie's best friend's mom was a part of Steve's mom's core friend group for DECADES. What a small world. During that initial reconnecting dinner, Steve and Susie shared childhood memories and spoke of mutual friends who have come and gone.
Both lived in different school zones and attended different high schools. These are the last images of the two of them within the same yearbook 50 years ago- Wow. Interestingly their shared history bonded Susie and I almost instantly. We discovered that we are kindred spirits in many ways. Isn't it amazing how people come into our lives? I believe this quote, “We don’t meet people by accident. They are meant to cross our path for a reason.” Serendipitous, indeed!