by Bernadette A. Sahm

That famous line about when one door closes another door opens, often we need to close doors so that we may make other choices. Our days here are like dollars in the bank, how do we want to spend them and how much do we have to spend.

We never know what is up ahead or what is just around the corner, we live in faith and move along in trust and faith. We make choices, whatever I have done with my life and my life choices I have done with conviction and pure passions. If I haven’t loved it, I didn’t do it. Life is just so short to settle for anything less.

No matter my choices I always took on both my career choices and personal choices with love and with determination. I strived to be the best that I could be, always wanting to do well and achieve at the highest and best level. Being a mother was one of the greatest joys and greatest challenges in my life. For 38 consecutive years I had children in my home. The oldest one left over 25 years ago and the last one just a few years ago. I loved having them and when it was time, I was so happy that they were out the door and on their own. I had given raising them my all, and when it was over, it was over. I was done.

As much as I loved raising children, the years that followed in our home with my husband Brian and our precious pooches, have been some of the happiest in my life. When we lost our pups Happy and Chipper, we grieved this loss. It was sad, down the road we brought home Bailey and Buddy, brother and sister Bichon Frises. If we didn’t lose Happy and Chipper, we would never have gotten Bailey and Buddy. One life change was the catalyst for another life change. When one door closed, we chose to open another one.

For years my husband and I have been discussing moving to our beach house full time, this would translate into leaving our jobs and selling our primary residence. A home that we have lived in for coming up on 32 years. Big decisions.

Sometimes we make life altering decisions and sometimes they are made for us. A few months ago, my job moved into an office after moving out of a Center that was located in a park-like setting complete with a Chapel, dining room and numerous meeting rooms, offices and 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom apartments. It was a move that I reluctantly went along with, yet my heart was never in it.

Previously I’ve been blessed to work at a beautiful bright special needs school, a retreat house on 55 acres with a recreational pool facility, and a historic opera house. All beautiful locations with much room to roam and places and spaces to create.

As I have matured, there have been less and less anxiety around my choices and my decisions. History has taught me that I will always land right where I am meant to be, I have been blessed. Each and every change and challenge afforded me an opportunity to grow, to mature, and to develop.

We close doors to that we will have an opportunity to open new doors. Here is to not ever staying past your welcome and always seeing the opportunities that closing one door may lead us as we open new doors and create new beginnings.

Change is coming and change is most welcome …

Bernadette A. Sahm on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/bernadetteamoyer