Alas, the only thing we can truly count on is change. As the sun rises and sets, we will all experience change in our lives. Some changes are minor, some are life-changing, but changes will happen to us all.

Many years ago, I had the perfect life. My parents were alive and actively my heroes, my life partner was the best part of my life, and I owned a championship Arthur Murray Dance Center.  In a very short time, my mom died, my life partner became ill, I sold my business, and then my partner died. A very few weeks after that, my dad passed in his sleep. He truly missed mom after 60 years of marriage and just wanted to be with her again.

I went from the highest of the high life to an existence living in the “dark night of the soul”. “Having it all” was all I knew. Family, success, fortune and a bright future, that was my game. Life was magical to me, then it was a nightmare.

After 18 years since all that happened, I have emerged a new man, a broken man, but new with new insights, new hopes, new dreams, and a new attitude. I still have the fire and vision for a great future, but I am not willing to sacrifice all to be successful. I realize family, friends, love, and giving service are all very important to me. For many years, I sacrificed many opportunities for family just to get ahead. Now, I think of love, family, and friends first.

My healing has been through giving service.  I have found that many people do not understand the life of service. Recently, I had some colleagues get angry me for the service work I was doing. I was openly criticized for what I was doing for others. It reminded me of my dad’s funeral. My dad was involved in so many service groups, the funeral tributes from all the various groups took over an hour. There were people who I had never seen speaking of my father as a great leader, a selfless man, a man of great faith, a mentor, and a man who served. At that point, I realized what my dad’s life was all about. Now, I am living his same life and it is fulfilling and healing.

Do I like having doors close in my life and do I like looking for a “new window”? This is my answer, I’m so focused on the many service opportunities I have in my life, from my business, my church, our city, friends, family, my own partner, that I just don’t have time to sweat the changes any more. I see the changes happening and then I say, oh, I must prepare my dates for 2020 for all the great opportunities that have come my way.

Now, perhaps I am free from doors closing and windows opening. I just look forward to the light and let the living waters of life guide me. It’s a life without fear, and no time to worry.

I hope and that you find peace from the doors that have closed and have vision for all the windows that are opening for you!

Thanks for reading,

DavidEarlWoodbury@gmail.com

Keep on Dancing!