An estranged friend died a few weeks ago, I only discovered on social media. We left on emotionally fraught 'I love you but let's agree to disagree and part ways,' terms. I thought of her over the years but still couldn't bring myself to build bridges. I suspect it was the same for her.
Edited to add - this friend and their family were very quiet on social media and moved out of the area. We had no friends in common. There is no way anyone connected to me would have come across any social media posts about her death before I did.
Anyway, before I knew she died, out of the blue she popped into my head and I went back through her emails recently. Didn't tell anyone. Just chalked it up to nostalgia. When I found out she died out of the blue, I counted back and it was the same day. I thought of her.
I brought up her name to another friend (friend B) who only heard of friend A through me. Before I told friend B friend A had died she said, 'Oh she crossed my mind the other week and I mentioned her in conversation, can't think why really.' I told her she'd died and we worked out her conversation was the same day.
I then told my mum. Her response was, 'that's so strange, she popped into my head out of nowhere last week and I wondered how she was doing and if you'd ever made up.' We worked out it was the same day.
I mean these people didn't even know my friend, except in positive stories from me that tailed off years ago.
Even I hadn't thought of her in months.
Is it possible that when someone dies it triggers something in the universe that people they've touched pick up on?
This has happened to me in various ways over the years. Once out of the blue I had an urge to look up an old aunt I'd not seen since I was a toddler. She lived in another country and I don't know any other relatives on that side of the family I wondered what had become of her. I googled her name and somehow managed to find a picture of her grave. The day I looked her up was the anniversary of her death, and also her birthday.
AIBU that there's something more to this than coincidence?