Why California Poppies are special to me: A story about synchronicity

When I was in third grade, back in Germany where I grew up, our teacher one day showed us a picture of an orange flower. He said its name was Kalifornischer Mohn (meaning California Poppy) and that it was the state flower of California. He asked us to repeat the name after him, and we did. Then he pointed to me and asked, “What’s the name of the flower?” I had a little bit trouble saying it, so during the remainder of the class, the teacher would ask me to say the name until I could say it correctly and very fast. He asked none of the other students, just me.

Well, 14 years later I came to California and have lived here ever since. Whenever I see a California poppy I think of this story, and I wonder whether an angel had whispered in my teacher's ear to make sure I would remember the name of this flower––and come to realize that life is more mysterious than we think.

There is a term for such mysterious coincidences––synchronicity, and it was coined by Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung. I have experienced a number of them over the years. I will share some more in the future.

Where to See California Poppies in Full Bloom
https://theatlasheart.com/where-to-see-california-poppies/