I’m sure you have heard the quote “when one door closes, another opens.” At our house, it feels like there has been an awful lot of figurative door slamming going on, and I am patiently waiting for the opening. I am sure it is coming.
But this isn’t a woe is me post. Not even close. In fact, it is a laugh with me post.
I just recently had a well-meaning, sweet soul say those very words to me and for some reason, it brought to mind a time when I tried to exit a building quite unsuccessfully. And I think we all could use a little laughter in our lives, so I thought I would share.
I had been summoned to the high school by one of my children. The high school my daughter attends is the only high school in the small town we currently call home. I almost feel like I step back in time when I walk into this school. The interior feels like it hasn’t been updated in years. It’s a time warp. And I love it.
One of the things I love (and would venture to say you won’t see in most high schools) are these large flower planters with white geraniums in them. And when I say large, I’m talking several feet tall and wide. Although these flowers usually grow outside during the summertime, by the looks of these ones, they have been growing indoors for years. Probably because of the amazing amount of natural sunlight they get from all the large windows in the front of the school. Now I know telling you about those beautiful flowers and all the natural light they bask in seems absolutely pointless but trust me!
Continuing…
I had let the office know that I needed to pick up my daughter so all I had to do now was wait. I sat down on one of the provided benches. I remember thinking what a nice day it was. There was so much sunlight pouring through all those windows. It was so bright and warm. I could have probably fallen asleep. Before I knew it, my daughter had appeared with her belongings, and she was ready to go. As we began our trek to the car, she started telling me something that had happened during the day. We had almost made it to the front doors when I turned my head to look at her while she talked. I was listening intently to her story, slightly blinded by the natural light spilling through the doorway. My next step would have taken me out the door, only it wasn’t a door. It was a floor-to-ceiling window, and I walked full steam ahead straight into it.
The thud my face made when hitting the window could be heard all through the office.
The confusion I felt struck me just as hard as the window did. I tried to gather what was left of my pride as I successfully walked through the door that was right next to the window. My daughter could barely maintain an upright position as she tried to walk and laugh simultaneously.
This one single event has caused so much laughter in our family. My daughter cannot even think about retelling the story without laughing. A trip to the high school is always a reminder that tends to bring on a case of the giggles. (On a side note, the high school has now placed a garbage can in front of that big window. I can only guess that the office staff watched me walk straight into the window and they concluded they better block it so no one else suffers the same misfortune.)
So, let’s say that I agree that when one door closes, another one opens. I just hope I can walk through that door a little better than I walked through the doors at the high school on that beautiful sunny day!
