To ask for your ‘everything happens for a reason’ stories!

I hate that old chestnut. it's just not true :(

Wedding cancelled during covid.... very upsetting at the time but finally getting married this summer . This time very small family only in a nice country pub instead of spending 17k plus on one day...

Biggest probably
Friend late for theatre, eventually arrived after we'd missed good bit of start so went to pub.
Some lad skipped his work shift and in same pub.
Married a long time 😀

Great thread, thank you OP.

I spend too much head space regretting things I did or didn’t do/say, so this thread and all the contributors are very much appreciated.

Years ago I went for an internal promotion in a company I'd been with for more than a decade. It had essentially been promised to me, but at the last minute it was given to a man who was part of the all-boys-club culture of the time.

The new promotion role was part of a company restructure and mostly managerial meaning the new employee took over managing my team (but not me).

What they hadn't accounted for was the bonus aspect of our salaries.

New man spent so much time managing and training a large number of employees, he never hit his targets, despite working ridiculously long hours.

I, on the other hand with no staff to manage, suddenly had lots more time to focus on my clients, smashed every target, whilst leaving at 5pm on the dot every day (something I'd never been able to do previously).

I had the highest salary of my life that year; I was paid considerably more than many of the senior staff.

The next year I was pregnant and before they could change the bonus structure, they had to pay my maternity pay - a percentage of my overall earnings from the previous year (so again a massive pay out).

Then the company was bought out and I had the opportunity to take redundancy, which I did as my husband had just taken a job which involved moving. My redundancy was based on my last annual salary and again was massive, allowing me to take several years off to be a SAHM.

Had I got that "promotion" all I actually would have got was a flashy job title, shit pay, a lot of stress and some long working hours.

Lovely thread. I can't think of anything of my own, but I do believe everything happens for a reason - not because of any divine or spiritual reason but just human nature itself and coincidences.
I greatly admire people who have the courage and determination to turn a bad situation around and find the bright side, or grab an opportunity when one door closes and another opens. The human spirit can truly be a wonderful thing.

1. my husband had to move halls 2 weeks before the start of uni. Into mine where we met and have been married 11 years.

2. I suffered 5 miscarriages in a row. Not saying they happen for a reason but for some reason this little boy was meant to be. He is the light and joy in our lives and worth all of the heartache. I’d do it again in a heartbeat for him.

I have two. I was in a job I loved, suited my two young kids and family life but wasn't the best paid and we were really struggling. Jobs were being reviewed and I decided if things were changing, I might as well apply to a different dept. I did, and got two promotions within the space of a year.

I had been having issues with my gallbladder for 6 months and without fail, would have an attack every 6/7 weeks. Finally admitted to hospital for more tests. Gallbladder was ok but they discovered an unrelatable blood cancer. I had no symptoms and only 5% of people diagnosed are found at this early stage. I'm now frequently monitored for any slight change.... And not a single gallbladder attack since and that's been 3 years.

I worked in sales for years and climbed the ladder gaining promotions and more money and felt trapped - you can't really leave when you become used to that money. Or so you think.
Then my health took a turn for the worse and I was forced to stop. Life is drastically different. I no longer work (although I am looking to go back part time shortly). I much prefer not having to stress about sales figures and targets and being out on the road. Plus I've gained another child who I get to spend time with.
Obviously the ill health sucks but covid hit at just the right time too and I was kicked out with redundancy (more because I was too ill to work) and a payout so perfect 👌 for me.

💜🥹

Love this thread I have no stories to share sadly

Minir one but...My friend rang me to ask if I could collect her boyfriend as her car had broken down and he was stranded. It was Christmas week and he couldn't get a taxi. I was annoyed that he didn't ring his own friends etc.

He's normally a nice guy but I kind of cursed him for not trying harder re the taxi etc. Then cursed him when it turned out he also had a colleague with him. Thought he was a total CF to assume I would drop the colleague home too but I did.

His colleague is now my boyfriend of two years plus.

We got our second choice primary but subsequently found out our son had SEN. Second choice school has been amazing, original first choice has a poor reputation for SEN and other things TBH. It was meant to be!

Just missed out on a big tech job, mega £££ and share options, sounded like a dream job. They've ended up making large layoffs since and actually got a much more suitable job 9 months later. It took a bit of time, but things worked out for the better.

Will be channeling the 'things happen for a reason' for secondary school application/outcomes too!

It's not so much "everything happens for a reason" (I don't believe it does, as a rule) but more "shit happens, what matters is how you deal with it".

Love this

Got 3 jobs offers at once, decided which one to take, called to accept offer but they needed me to go to their north office location for training for a few weeks which I couldn’t do at the time so took the second job offer instead.

met my husband at this job 😊 been 15 lovely years with him.

*out myself

Hi @Sidewaysbackways . Hope you’re ok. I had an awful time around a year ago. I wished so much that things could have been different. Now, with hindsight, whilst I still wish I hadn’t gone through what I had, I can see that actually, things could have been even worse in the long run had i not gone through that bad time when I did. Sorry if this sounds cryptic, I didn’t want to put myself. But basically, despite feeling like I wanted to take my life, I can honestly say that life is a million times better now. Keep going and things will change even without you realising x

I was due to go on a work trip down to London. I was so excited, couldn't wait. Amazing networking opportunities and all expenses paid with a fab hotel and fancy meals. I was 6 weeks pregnant at the time and nobody knew.

2 days before, my boss decides actually he wants to go along with my colleague instead of me. I was devastated.

They were involved in a horror crash on the motorway and my boss suffered serious injuries. He is OK now but there is no way baby would have survived that.

She is 2 now.

I definitely do not want to make this a woe is me or how great I am post but I was a victim of gun crime some years ago. I miraculously survived and, from that moment on, decided to sort my shit out and do all the things I should have been doing dreamed of but thought would be unattainable to me.
This meant getting into IT (wanted a well paying role I enjoyed, starting a business,.clearing debts and a few other things.
I'd never want to experience it again but I know that it shifted my focus and so much good came out of it.

I worked in food retail, got the sack thanks to an entitled & aggressive customer.

It was the kick up the arse I needed to go self employed & I have absolutely no regrets beyond wishing I'd done it years ago, I have built up a lovely client base & although financially poorer it really isn't a bother as I live frugally & both my mental health & work/life balance are significantly better.

Why, if I do not believe that everything happens for a reason, do I still find this thread so lovely? I hope we can all triumph over our adversity.

Yes! I am an old experienced (therefore expensive) and well-qualified teacher, but when I applied for ft teaching jobs after being part-time for years and years since dc were born, nobody would give me a job. I applied for loads, some of them at schools I really didn't want to work at tbh.

I was getting very disheartened and was about to give up, when a job at my ideal school, came up. They snapped me up and promoted me within less than a year! It's also down the road from dh's job, and from the school ds will be going to in September, so we can travel in together. I'm soooooo glad I didn't get any of those other jobs. It was meant to be!

I was once on a boat in Vietnam. During the night a giant cockroach jumped straight onto my face. I screamed, ran onto the deck and spent the rest of the night half awake in a deck chair.

The sun started to rise and I watched children paddling to school, parents going to work, mist rising over the lake, the colours coming back into the world. I can truly say it was one of the most magical mornings of my life.

It was definitely some kind of karmic cockroach, sent to educate me.

I agree with your saying always have and face, but don't know what the reason is lol.