This article is dedicated to Abby May

My birthday this year started in a very special way.

In the early morning, I was walking along a deserted beach. It was a windy, gloomy and unfriendly day. Heavy storm clouds hung very low, hiding the sun. Racing waves carried masses of matted seaweed onto the sand. Small drops of rain began to drizzle.

“Why this bad weather on my special day? All I wanted was a beautiful and sunny day,” I thought sadly.

Far in the distance, I saw a bright spot on the beach in vivid contrast to the murky ocean. I began to run, squinting to see who it could be.

A pretty girl in a white dress painted with bright spring flowers took shape. Her long brown hair blew freely in the wind. She was doing yoga. I had never seen such yoga before.

It was so fast and energetic, full of life and energy. It mirrored the girl perfectly. She saw me and laughed. She waved in a friendly way and greeted me.

“Hello! My name is Abby. Please join me! I knew you would come.”

I looked at the lovely freckles scattered in merry splashes all over her ecstatic face. I smiled happily and nodded in return.

All the time we were doing yoga, I kept thinking, “How did she know that I would come?”

After yoga, we sat for a long time on the beach, looking at the endless, restless sea. We began to talk about our lives. Abby, full of smiles and optimism, told me she was searching for the right place to live and moved from a small town in Missouri to Hollywood, Florida.

She is a kindergarten teacher and adores the five-year-old kids in her care, but in her soul she is an artist. She recently lost her mother and missed her deeply.

I finally decided to ask the question that had stayed with me all this time: “How did you know that I would come?”

Abby laughed and told me this story.

While she was sitting on the beach that morning, she reflected on her feelings and wrote a post on Facebook.

She said it was her message to the universe: “Be blessed and be a blessing. Let’s enjoy this life while we are here. Each being maintains a delicate balance and then the cycle comes to a close, sometimes unexpectedly, sometimes predictably.

“Today and everyday, I meditate on how to live in each moment with joy, love and peace. I send this energy out to the world and I know that it will come back to me in happiness.

“I send this message out as I think of my family. We are moving through this year in mourning. The loss of my mother is so great that I know she will send us wonderful new friends this year.”

She explained to me: “You see, it’s very simple. I sent a signal of love and peace and received an answer. You came with a smile, good energy and a birthday.”

I thought how happy I was that I heard her meditation of love and joy. I looked at the sky and saw the sun, which broke through the clouds and shone down on us.

Even the sun received Abby’s message, I thought with a smile.

• Nina London is a certified wellness and weight-management coach. Her mission is to support and inspire mature women to make positive changes in their body and mind. Share your inspirational stories with her on www.ninalondon.com