Still Becoming | October 26, 2026. By Debra Gabel posted 10.29.26
Lately, I’ve been noticing things.
Not earth-shattering things. Little things. Numbers, patterns, coincidences, moments that seem to tap me on the shoulder and say, “Hey, did you see that?”
Well, yes, I did.
But why?
And why am I wondering why?
Apparently, my curiosity has developed curiosity of its own.
Today, October 26, 2026 (continued from last entry). I’m still sitting in a hotel room. I was supposed to be spending time with my cousin Dorothy, but she passed away sooner than we expected.
Earlier today, I wrote about missing her and remembering to cherish the people we still have. That was the last post.
Then, for no particular reason I could explain, I asked Zeb whether the number 26 had any significance. Why 26? Perhaps because of today’s date 10-26-26 Perhaps not.
I simply felt compelled to ask. Is the Universe Sending Me a Memo?
Zeb explained that numerology associates the number 2 with relationships and connection, and the number 6 with family, love, and nurturing.
Together, they add up to 8, often associated with infinity and continuing cycles.
Interesting, considering what I’d been thinking about today.
Now, I’m not suggesting the universe has assigned someone to send me coded messages through license plates and grocery receipts.
Although, if it has, perhaps a more straightforward communication system would be helpful.
But I do find myself wondering why certain things catch my attention.
Is there meaning in the number?
Or is the meaning in the fact that I noticed it?
There’s a difference.
And I find that difference fascinating.
Apparently, My Brain Has a Brain
As Zeb and I continued our conversation, he introduced me to the word metacognition. That’s the ability to think about your own thinking.
Well, that explains a lot.
I notice something.
Then I notice that I noticed it.
Then I wonder why.
Then I wonder why I’m wondering.
Good grief. I’m going to need a secretary for my thoughts.
But seriously, our brains are constantly sorting through an enormous amount of information.
We can’t consciously notice everything.
So why do certain things suddenly stand out?
Psychologists describe something called the frequency illusion. Once something catches our attention, we begin noticing it more frequently.
The number may not be appearing more often.
We’re simply paying more attention.
And that raises another question.
What else has been right in front of me that I’ve been too busy to notice?
A Little Science, a Little Spirituality
We also talked about Carl Jung and his concept of synchronicity.
Zeb input; Jung explored coincidences that feel meaningfully connected, even without an identifiable cause-and-effect relationship.
I like that idea.
I don’t need to declare every coincidence a spiritual message.
But I don’t need to dismiss my curiosity, either.
I can investigate.
I can question.
I can learn.
And I can remain open to possibilities without automatically accepting them as facts.
Imagine that. Curiosity without a courtroom verdict!
Perhaps science explains how we notice something, while personal reflection helps us understand why it matters to us.
The two don’t have to be enemies.
Slowing Down to See More
Somewhere in our conversation, I told Zeb that I’m trying to slow down and become more alert. Not just to the world around me, but to my thoughts and feelings, too.
I’m 65 years old. I’ve spent plenty of years doing, planning, creating, worrying, organizing, and occasionally wondering how I managed to get so busy.
Now I want something a little different.
I don’t necessarily want to do less.
I want to experience more of what I’m already doing.
Zeb and I arrived at a thought worth keeping:
“Perhaps slowing down isn’t about having less to do. It’s about finally noticing more of what life has been showing us all along.”
— Debra Gabel
That’s it!
I don’t want to rush through the ordinary moments while waiting for something extraordinary to happen.
Maybe the ordinary moments are extraordinary.
Maybe I just haven’t been paying enough attention.
Being Both the Observer and the Participant
Zeb suggested that I might be learning to become both the observer and the participant in my own life.
That stopped me.
Because I don’t want to stand outside my life analyzing every little thing.
I want to be in it.
Laughing. Loving. Creating. Making mistakes. Occasionally saying something I probably should have thought about for another thirty seconds.
But I also want to recognize what’s happening while it’s happening.
Why did that conversation affect me?
Why did that memory suddenly surface?
Why did I notice those numbers?
Why am I curious?
And why does curiosity itself feel so important to me now?
Together, we shaped another thought:
“I don’t want to slow down because life is passing me by. I want to slow down so I can notice life as it passes through me.”
I like that very much.
What Dorothy Helped Me Notice
Earlier today, while thinking about Dorothy, I came across a Facebook post from my dear friend Lynn S.
She was expressing how much she still misses someone she loves.
Lynn has carried that grief for years. Dorothy’s family and I are experiencing a much more recent loss.
And something about those two experiences made me stop.
I began thinking about how much attention we give to the people we’ve lost and how important it is to cherish the people who are still here.
That led me to write:
“We can spend our days missing those who are gone, or we can honor them by cherishing those who are still here. Life asks us to do both.”
— Debra Gabel
That thought became a reflection, an illustration, and a meaningful part of my day.
All because I noticed something.
And then I allowed myself the time to wonder about it.
Which brings me to another thought Zeb and I developed:
“Perhaps not everything we notice is a message. But everything that makes us pause can become an invitation to reflect.”
— Debra Gabel
Maybe that’s what matters most.
Not whether the number 26 carries some mysterious significance.
But whether noticing it encouraged me to think a little more deeply.
Still Becoming
I don’t expect to figure everything out.
Actually, I hope I never do.
What would be the fun in that?
I want to keep questioning things I’ve accepted for years.
I want to discover new ideas.
I want to understand my own thoughts and feelings a little better.
And I want to remain open to the possibility that tomorrow I’ll see something I’ve looked at a thousand times and suddenly recognize it differently.
Perhaps that’s one of the unexpected gifts of getting older.
Not necessarily becoming wiser because we have all the answers.
But becoming more interested in asking better questions.
So the next time I notice 11:11 on a clock, I may smile.
Not because I know the universe is speaking to me.
But because I’m paying attention.
And perhaps that’s enough.
“Perhaps the greatest gift of curiosity isn’t discovering something new about the world. It’s discovering something new about ourselves.”
— Debra Gabel
Still learning.
Still questioning.
Still noticing.
Still Becoming. 🦋
Quotes to Remember
1. Missing and Cherishing
“We can spend our days missing those who are gone, or we can honor them by cherishing those who are still here. Life asks us to do both.”
— Debra Gabel
2. The Invitation to Notice
“Perhaps not everything we notice is a message. But everything that makes us pause can become an invitation to reflect.”
— Debra Gabel
3. Slowing Down
“Perhaps slowing down isn’t about having less to do. It’s about finally noticing more of what life has been showing us all along.”
— Debra Gabel
4. Life Passing Through Us
“I don’t want to slow down because life is passing me by. I want to slow down so I can notice life as it passes through me.”
— Debra Gabel
5. The Gift of Curiosity
“Perhaps the greatest gift of curiosity isn’t discovering something new about the world. It’s discovering something new about ourselves.”
— Debra Gabel
Words From Other Thinkers
6. Thornton Wilder
“We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.”
7. Marcel Proust
“Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.”
8. A.A. Milne
“How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.”
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