The Path to Serendipity

I bolted upright from my dream, gulping for air. The tears began to flow and soon I was sobbing.

In my dream, my mom was alive still, but very sick. I had a moment alone with my dad and I asked him, “Does mom have to die?”

“Yes,” he responded.

It’s been almost six years since my mom passed away, and that ache of that loss still rocks me to my core. It can still be so raw and gut-wrenching. And it is such a blessing.

I wouldn’t want it any other way. I am thankful for a mom I loved so much and who loved me and my siblings with everything she had. I wrap myself around the pain that losing that deep love brings. Because it reminds me of the gift she was. It reminds me of the gifts she gave me. I was blessed by her love and I am blessed by the pain that losing that love brings.

I am so excited to publish The Path to Serendipity this spring, and am honored when people ask me what the book is all about. This is what the Path to Serendipity is all about.

It is about finding serendipity in our deep losses, in the things that challenge us, the things that bring us great joy. It is about stumbling upon the treasures that each of these experiences brings.

The origin of the word serendipity comes from a fairy tale called The Three Princes of Serendip who set out to impress their father by living as common people. They saw the hardships the common people faced, but they also saw that embedded in the challenges are lessons and joys–things you cannot enjoy without first experiencing the hardship. Serendipity is embracing that we can stumble across beautiful things in every experience we have, if we open our hearts and our eyes to them.

The Path to Serendipity is focusing on the lessons that each experience holds, fostering positive and strong relationships with the people around us, and understanding that in this crazy world there is ALWAYS something within our control–ourselves.

Thank you for joining me on this journey, it is a dream-I-never-dared-to-dream come true. I cannot wait to share The Path to Serendipity with you this spring!

Here is some early praise for The Path to Serendipity:

In her book, The Path to Serendipity, Allyson Apsey provides a road map for educators to find joy, compassion, and new perspectives at school and in their personal lives. Her transparency and openness allow the reader to peer into her heart and share her joys and her sorrows with lessons learned through her journey as an educator. If you’re seeking new ways to help students and searching for inspiration for the heart, this book is for you!

-Jonathon Wennstrom, Elementary Principal