Finding Extraordinary celebrates meaningful coincidences—those chance encounters and unexpected connections that quietly transform our lives. These muses reveal how ordinary moments can become crossroads of magic, grace, and human connection. Inspired by “Locker Room Moments with Dad,” this collection honors life’s beautiful accidents: the strangers who cross our paths, the small gestures that change everything, and the reminders that even our darkest moments hold light. The extraordinary isn’t far away—it’s woven into every day. When we stay open to wonder, meaning finds us right where we are.
My day started with the expectation to meet a friend at my favorite French cafe and buy Alexandra macaroons. But K called me and changed everything: “Keith’s in the hospital. He’s only got a day or two, maybe a week. I’m going to see him.” I canceled my plans and booked a train to New… Continue reading On The Loss of A Good Friend & Finding The Unexpected
SORRY I’VE BEEN MIA! Yep! I got the dreaded Covid. For two years, I worried about the day it would hit me. What would happen? Would I be okay? I listened to so many stories of all the other people who got it, and I even lived through Skylar getting it before Twelfth Night and… Continue reading Loss of Sense of Humor–Unmasking Another Covid Symptom
Colonoscopies aren’t fun, but they’re fun to make fun of. And since I prepped for my first one on Father’s Day, I can officially make all the jokes I want. Yes, sh!t happens. But we’re going to have to go further than that, to a time when my Dad parked the rental car in La… Continue reading Sh!t Happens But Then There’s Sonny Vaccaro, Matt Damon & Ben Affleck
Copyright © 2026 by Stephanie Ortiz – All Rights Reserved
