Guess what? My lost coat has showed up. Yay! Thanks to the kindness of a stranger I have never met, it is currently winging it’s way over from Dorking courtesy of Royal Mail. I wondered if I should wait for it to arrive before writing this post, but hey, I trust the universe and the postman to come good.

At the time of losing it, which was entirely my own fault as I sent it to the wrong address, I had assumed that a ‘bad’ person had signed for it and waltzed off, cocooned in the warm embrace of Canadian down. I was wrong. The Post Office had made a mistake on the tracking details. It was in fact, waiting at Dorking sorting office for someone to pick it up.

I was told that I couldn’t retrieve it, because I didn’t live at the address on the parcel and I should expect it to land in Belfast by the end of October. Once it arrived, I could apply to get it back. It was a happy ending I hadn’t expected. My coat was found and I would probably have it in time for Christmas. Hurrah!

But then things got even better. One of the many strangers I spoke to during my sleuthing trip to Dorking, found the calling card, picked the coat up for me, got in touch and offered to send it to my address. Now that wasn’t an outcome I had envisaged at all. The universe has, once again, gone over and above to help me out. This happens a lot these days. The more positive, open and trusting I become, the more good stuff happens.

I used to view life as a battle field where success was hard won, casualties were unavoidable and I was on the losing side. Not any more. Yes, I did initially think that a ‘bad’ person had stolen my coat, but then life showed me that strangers can be kinder and more helpful than you could possibly imagine.

The coat is coming home.

The next time I have a mini crisis, I MUST remember the following:

• People are on the whole, kind and helpful

• The bigger picture is often better than you can imagine

• The universe has got my back, and some

• Jump to a conclusion and you are likely to be proved wrong

• There is always magic afoot

• Dorking is definitely worth a day trip

As soon as the coat arrives, I will inform the eBay buyer and hopefully, this time she’ll be send a smiling face emoji, as opposed to a sad one.

Thank-you universe, the good people of Dorking and the lovely lady who answered my call in the Royal Mail customer services department. May magic come to you all!