Serendipity. Mirriam-Webster says we experience it when we “find valuable or agreeable things not sought for.” Other definitions add the words “unexpected” and “unplanned.” Which happened yesterday. I woke early, planning to begin my bike ride at sunup.

But it was raining—not that slick pavement keeps me home. But in this part of Texas, in August, rain means thunderstorms, and thunder means lightning, and lightning will keep me indoors, especially since the route I take makes me the tallest object around for most of 14 miles.

But this blog isn’t about lightning; it’s about serendipity and it’s about rainy days.

Because most of my serendipities occur on rainy days (i.e. when I’m interrupted by things I can’t control). One writer calls it a “happy accident.” I call it a “happy frustration.”

The rain was frustrating. I couldn’t do what I wanted. So I did what I could—I got on the Amazon site and worked on some publishing stuff.

And Voilá! I discovered the answer to a question I had sought for months. For Months.

Unsought. A serendipity. On a rainy day!