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My husband and I were finishing up the last bit of our grocery shopping as we made our way down the aisle of bottled water and assorted beverages. My mind was focused on getting home and finalizing some writing I was working on, as well as designing new tea-infused pendants. Out of the corner of my right eye, I noticed a couple hovering around the varieties of Coca-Cola products. Suddenly, the young man turned, acknowledged me and smiled. I was impressed and warmed by his courtesy, so I nodded with a smile in return and kept moving. I also noticed how they were dressed alike, both wearing burgundy hoodies and matching ash-colored sweatpants.

I focused on the registers ahead and saw that lane 14 was open, so I began to merge forward in line. That’s when it hit me, a wave of mixed emotions. My body reacted with a racing heart, a surge of anxiety and an overwhelming need to escape. The young man who smiled warmly at me was no stranger, but a shadow from my past, a presence as thick and real as a smothering blanket. My husband noticed the change in my face and could tell something was wrong. I hurried toward him and quietly said, “That was...” and whispered the young man’s name. He was astonished and so was I. My need to leave became instinctual, and I felt trapped, anxious to check out and worried the young man might approach me. My husband offered to finish while I waited in the car, but I declined and decided to stay. My thoughts were: if anything should happen, if a confrontation were to ensue, I would rather be present and not leave my husband, Rory, alone.

Luckily, we made it to the car without incident, and I could finally relax and begin to process what happened. A blend of emotions surfaced and part of me wanted to cry. I could feel the tears rising, but they stopped before spilling over. That meant something, I thought. In the moments that followed, I replayed the interaction in my mind several times, the young man standing near the aisle opening. At the same time, his new bride deciding which Coke she preferred, their cute matching outfits and his expression of both elation and surprise at seeing me.

It was during my reflection that an epiphany washed over me: “Synchronicity doesn’t always arrive to open doors. Sometimes it arrives to close loops.”

This is not the first time someone from my past has snuck up on me in the present, but this was the first time I didn’t recognize them and for that, I was grateful. The glance I gave him was warm and acknowledging, but distant. In that moment, I treated him like I would any stranger and that’s what he was to me: a stranger. Not family, not a friend, not a former work colleague.

There are those who believe that ‘time’ alone grants re-entry. This is only true for those who have done the work to repair a relationship. Ironically, a few weeks ago, I found myself meditating on a scenario: What if I were to see this young man again and what would I say? As you can imagine, I had a lot to say and would have interjected a few witty comebacks for balance. The Universe has a way of testing our resolve and provides opportunities for us to put into practice what we have been healing. I spent nearly the entire day after our encounter pondering just that. What if I had recognized him and said all the things that needed to be said? What if I brought up the manipulation and betrayal? What if?

In the end, my reaction—or lack thereof—was a gift. I closed the loop, reinforced my boundaries, and showed up authentically. By not reacting, I kept my boundaries intact and the young man got the message: you are a stranger to me. That was all that needed to be said and I communicated it with energy rather than words. The inward journey has a subtle way of orchestrating synchronicities, offering us not just pleasant surprises but also challenges that test our resolve and fortify our boundaries. These moments are rarely random; they’re invitations to put our healing into practice, to see how far we’ve come and to decide what (or who) truly belongs in our lives.

As you reflect on your own unexpected encounters or moments of synchronicity, remember: “Synchronicity doesn’t always arrive to open doors. Sometimes it arrives to close loops.” Closure can be the greatest gift and the clearest sign that you’re moving forward. The lesson isn’t about opening a new door; it’s about recognizing when a loop is meant to be closed.

So if you find yourself face-to-face with a piece of your past, trust the boundaries you’ve built and the healing you’ve done; sometimes the greatest strength lies in letting go.

With warmth,
Amanda May
Founder & Creator | Tea Phases
Colorado Native | Artisan & Author since 2014