Magic Happens!

Why I Believe There is Magic Out There

Years ago we started thinking about buying a home, having our own place. But A – we didn’t have enough savings, and B – we didn’t have full time jobs, or even a car that was new enough to use as collateral.

We didn’t want to borrow from family, or have them sign off on anything. And anyways we had no one on either side that was well off enough! (Now this is a weird thing to say but even if someone died the next day there was never going to be an inheritance of any kind either)

We were teaching Ashtanga yoga then and Van was organizing big events as it was brand new to the west coast. He asked Beryl Bender Birch (ya what a name for a yoga instructor eh?), to come out from New York and teach the first workshop in 1995.

While they were here she shared her ‘magic happens’ story with us…. Beryl and her husband were looking for a place to buy in New York and everything was over the top expensive for them.

Then one day one of their students asked them to come out to his home in The Hamptons which is a very posh area. It was lovely. Big house with a pool, gorgeous. He asked them if they liked it and they said of course. He asked could they see themselves living there and they said of course, but we could never afford it. But do you like it? he asked. Yes! they replied. So he shook their hands.

Minutes later a real estate agent showed up with a couple in tow that were coming to look at the house for a second time. The student/friend walked up to the real estate agent and said sorry, it’s just been sold.
Beryl’s student and owner of the house gave them a great deal with affordable monthly payments so they could buy it and that was that.
That was my first look at how magic can happen.

That same year one of my students at the time made me very envious and a wee bit jealous if I may be truthful here.

Every week end she and her boyfriend would leave their rental place in Whistler and drive south for about an hour to a small marina. They would jump into their small open boat with all of their provisions for the 2 days and boat! over to their own private cabin. It was small but right on the water. I pined for that place and a similar experience!!

Then more students, this time of Van’s (this has become a teacher student story I just realized) came over for dinner and brought all of their pictures of their cabin they just purchased. It was on a small island, boat access only, was perched on a cliff with an awesome 180 degree view south with incredible sunsets.

As we looked through the 100 or so hand held photos (this was in the 90’s) I kept thinking. Why are they in our cabin?? We should be there. So from envy and jealousy I moved to disbelief!

Shortly after this we were invited to visit them. How exciting. They had a boat, and when we docked and unloaded, everything went on our backs and in their wheelbarrow and off up the gravel road we went. Wild strawberries on the side, grass up the middle, deer, arbutus trees and such a wonderful smell of spring in the air.

A local drove by with their VW van and offered to take the heavy stuff for us and dropped it at their doorstep while we walked the rest of the way….The place was even more beautiful than the photos.

I guess it was about 6 months later and I was at a retreat that I organized back then for women martial artists. I got a call from Van saying that friend had called from that lovely small island saying there was a small cabin down from them, facing south, for sale!

Did we think we would like to come and see it? Would we! Within a couple of days we had arranged to fly out of Vancouver’s south terminal in a 1954 Beaver seaplane. It only took 10 minutes and we were touching down in the small harbour of ‘our’ island! What a difference in time compared with using the ferries, driving etc.

Staying at our friend’s place again we were able to visit the cabin for sale at all times of the day and night to get a feel for it. The owner let us have the keys and we would sit inside, wrapped up in blankets sitting on plastic chairs just staring at the view. At the end of our stay we knew for sure we had to get this place one way or t’other.

Then the fun began…

We had some money saved, the bank would loan us a little more but for the life of us we just couldn’t come up with the last $10,000 that we needed. We asked for a loan from a small town credit union and the manager tried so hard to get the money for us. She asked us what we had for collateral. We had nothing. Our car was from the 80’s….she was almost in tears because she knew the story behind our cabin and our love for it. But her hands were tied.

So! we turned to everyone else. Hats in hand we asked for a loan to be paid back with interest. My Mom had $500 hidden away and offered it, a student offered $100 to help us out and we were reaching out to relatives we hadn’t seen in ages.

We were desperate and determined to make this happen.

Then….a long time friend that we had known for years and had visited us often said hmmm, show me the details and let me think. And voila, she said yes. And then she said, have a look around Whistler and if you see any place there that we could buy together, I’ll finance that too!

5 weeks later we owned 2 places. One here in Whistler and one on an island in the Salish Sea.

Magic happens.

I hope reading this story convinces you that it can happen.

Never give up, Never surrender! The universe works in mysterious ways, don’t you agree?

Now I’m looking forward to sharing the next ‘magic act’ to befall us…we’re waiting for something… (sorry, we’re keeping this close to our chests and with fingers crossed), so will keep you posted.

Please send me your ‘Magic Happens’ stories and I’ll share them with others.