Whatever we call it, it gives us a sense that there is more to life than meets the eye. That there is something MORE to life than what we know of it. That there is a certain connectivity to things and events. Events like this–events of serendipity and coincidence–make us pause and think and bring us to a moment of awe and amazement. And hopefully we learn. And hopefully we live better.

In the meantime, keep walking.

A US teenager who saved the life of a ’stranger’ was shocked to find it was a nurse who did the same for him in 1999.

Kevin Stephan, 17, of Buffalo, New York state, rushed to perform the Heimlich manoeuvre when he saw Penny Brown choking on her lunch.

He did not recognise Ms Brown as the off duty nurse who got his heart beating again after a bat hit him in the chest during a baseball game, reports the Buffalo News.

But Kevin’s mother, who was in the restaurant where Kevin performed his good deed, knew exactly who it was.

“Oh, my goodness,” Lorraine Stephan told her. “You saved my son’s life seven years ago, and now he’s saved yours.”

Kevin added: “Wow. I couldn’t believe it! Everyone I have told is like: “No way.” They’re in total disbelief.

“It’s one of those things you can’t explain. It was meant to happen. I’m Catholic, and I believe the Lord kind of set things up. They say things happen for a reason, and nothing is a coincidence.”

Brown, an intensive-care nurse at Buffalo General Hospital, said she can’t think too long about the two incidents “without being freaked” by it.

“It’s almost impossible to believe, but I’m very appreciative of what occurred,” she said. “One good turn deserves another.”