Serendipity is a delicious word coined by Horace Walpole in 18th century England. And it's a word I live by.
I first learned of the curious history of this word while attending an art lecture at the University of Buckingham in London. Nowadays, one can "google" it and find the whole story in Wikipedia.
Taken from the title of the book "The Three Princes of Serendip", an old Persian fairy tale, it means the fortuitous art of accidentally finding something wonderful while looking for something else.
Somehow, this word strikes a chord with me. Perhaps it's the Persian origin. Or maybe it's the fact that Serendip is the name of the island now known as Sri Lanka. The Oriental connection and my own love of antiques from that part of the world speaks to me.
Perhaps serendipity speaks to you, too. May it bring you delightful new opportunities, even when you aren't looking for them.
