Closed Doors, Opened Doors

Today I am grateful for a pleasant walk/run with my friend Sara and nice mornings on our patio with Darcy.

I am on a quote kick this week. If you like these, I get many of them from the "Word for the Day" at gratefulness.org.

Helen Keller has always been an inspiration to me. I wrote about another quote from her in Overcoming Suffering last November. Talk about making the most of life, even with significant limitations. At 19 months old, an illness left her both blind and deaf. She went on to lead a full life, and earn both significant formal and informal educations. She left a wonderful legacy with her activist work for the disadvantaged and wonderful words like the ones below.

"When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long

 at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us."

(Helen Keller)

She had doors closed. If she would have kept lamenting those closed doors, we wouldn't be where we are today with our culture's view of those who are disabled or lacking key capabilities that most of us take for granted.

Most of us won't go on to leave a mark nationally and internationally like Helen Keller did. Yet, we can each leave our mark on our part of the world and the people in it.

Doors will close that we don't want closed. Doors will close with our help. Either way, emotional weight may keep us stuck staring at the closed door. Look around. Release burdens. Pray. Have faith.
Reach out to others. Find gratitude.

Look again. Chances are you will see an open door. Move forward to it and into this day. Leave your mark.