If you’ve ever wondered if outside forces brought you and your fiancée together, consider this (absolutely true!) story:

My wife Phyllis and I were in Las Vegas this week, at a trade show for wedding professionals. One afternoon, we were on the Monorail headed back to our hotel, deciding where we were going to have dinner…

We’d originally planned to go farther down the Strip but, just as our train was about to leave the station closest to our hotel, Phyllis suddenly changed her mind and said, “let’s get off here instead.” So, we darted out just before the train doors closed.

As we walked back to our hotel, I thought to myself, “We ran into people we knew at the convention, of course. But, unlike Southern California, I can walk down the street in Vegas without being recognized. Hey, this is great! … “

A few moments later, I heard my name called from behind. I turned around to see Rob and Kari, a couple I married together years ago!

We chatted for a bit, realized they had some new babies to brag about (without sending any pictures to the minister yet? unthinkable!), and shared some great memories about their ceremony.

As we parted company, I couldn’t help but think: Las Vegas is a town built on long shots.  But, what about the odds that brought us all together at that moment? Think about it:

• We could have left the convention center at another time, and been on another train.
• Phyllis might not have changed her mind about dinner at the last minute.
• We could have been walking faster or slower, and Rob/Kari wouldn’t nave noticed us in the crowd.
• We were in the same place in another city on the same day, in the middle of the same week, in the middle of the same afternoon.

Call it Luck, call it Kismet, call it Serendipity. All I know is, I’ve met hundreds of couples who had every chance of not meeting, but they met anyway.  And, despite the “long shot” behind it all, I get to marry them together, and make it The Surest Bet of All!