12 strangest coincidences that prove the universe has a wild sense of humor

Life is full of mysteries, and sometimes, coincidences can be so mind-boggling that they leave us questioning reality. Recently, we asked our Facebook audience to share their most bizarre coincidences, and their stories reveal just how uncanny life can be.

Jane C. was driving home in Sydney when her recently separated husband called to tell her he had been diagnosed with a serious cancer. She agreed to go back to be with him but first wanted to shower and change. While in the shower, she had an odd thought: "If I see a wombat, he will be okay." On her way back, she encountered a wombat standing in the middle of the road—a rare sight. The wombat came up to her, touched her leg with its nose, and moved on. She called her husband to tell him he would be okay, and miraculously, he was.

Amanda M. had a strange dream one night where her five-year-old son was lost in the woods. She was woken up by her son, who asked if she was calling for him. He had just woken up from a dream where he was lost in the woods. The coincidence left both of them puzzled and amazed.

While visiting Coronado, CA, Debbie J. was walking on the beach when she saw her last name written in the sand. "And our name is not Smith or Jones," making this coincidence even more striking.

Karen K. met another nanny at a class, and they discovered they had the same name and birthday. "The boys we were taking care of had the same name and same birthday too. So weird."

Sally B. was planning a holiday to Australia when a friend showed her a house for sale. She dismissed it initially, but later found herself in front of two identical houses. "A rainbow came out and pointed exactly to one of them. I viewed and offered that afternoon, went off for my holiday, did everything online." She has lived there for 17 years now.

Jeri P. discovered that her 1st cousin once removed, who was adopted, had a biological father who was a good friend she went to high school with 40 years ago. "She posted a picture of her bio father she found through Ancestry- and it was a good friend I went to high school with 40 years ago, and neither one is close to me geographically..."

Maureen M. walked into her freshman dorm room, only to find that she and her roommate, whom she had never met before, had the exact same comforter and sheet set. "Her side was already set up and we had the exact same comforter and sheet set. Lol"

Gerald A. visited a mineral pool in Watrous, SK, and saw a mural painted by someone named G. Froese, a name he recognized as his Grade 5 teacher. To his surprise, he later encountered his teacher in the pool. "I waited awhile but then decided to ask ??? He wasn’t the painter and didn’t remember me but it was my Teacher from way back then."

Vicki W. broke a cup from her good dinner set back in the seventies and replaced it with a mismatched one. Forty years later, she was offered coffee at a friend's house, and the friend had the same mismatched cup. "We exchanged mismatched cups and both ended up with a complete set again!"

Crys G. discovered that her dad had a one-night stand in high school resulting in a child she never knew about. The child was adopted and given a last name that was her dad’s first name. "The babies mom named the baby my dads middle name and then put him up for adoption. The family that adopted hims' last name is the same as my dads first name." Essentially, her brother’s name was her dad’s name, backwards.

These stories remind us of the strange and wonderful coincidences that life can throw our way. From unexpected encounters to eerie dreams and remarkable twists of fate, these personal experiences highlight the mysterious connections and moments that make life truly fascinating. Whether we can explain them or not, they add a layer of wonder to our everyday lives.

This article was originally published on May 31, 2024. It has since been updated.