What is kismet?

Photo credit: Rui Palha, Pigeons at Bolhão, Porto Portugal, 2010

Traditionally, we’ve thought of kismet as fate or destiny. You’re sitting at a café in a Paris train station. You look up, and there’s the person you sat beside on the plane. Neither of you planned it. Somehow, everything lined up.

Were you in the right place at the right time? Was it meant to happen? Or was it a random encounter that only felt meaningful because you noticed it?

Cosmic Order vs. Random Chance

I can’t prove that the universe arranged a meeting in a train station. I also can’t dismiss the feeling when something like that happens. For a moment, time seems to pause. You look at this person, then at the unlikely chain of events that brought you both there, and think: What are the chances?

Maybe kismet is something beyond our control. Maybe it’s the universe showing off its sense of humor. Or maybe it’s that strange moment when two people recognize each other and pick up where they last left off, even if they’ve only just met.

That’s the part I keep coming back to. How can someone feel familiar before you know their story?

These moments remind me how much is happening beneath the surface of an ordinary day, and how a connection can begin when I least expect it.

That’s what the word kismet holds for me. A little mystery, impeccable timing, and the possibility that someone wonderful might be sitting right beside you.

What does kismet mean to you? And when was the last time it showed up in your life?