When One Door Closes…

Photo by Gustavo Belemmi on Unsplash

It took me years to understand the concept of the closing door. It took me years to grasp the importance of the closing door. All I could see was what I was losing. I was focused on what I would miss when that door closed. So many doors had been slammed shut in my life that at one point, I knew nothing but loss. I had lost jobs. I had lost friends. My marriage failed. I had to move out of the house that I loved so very much. I had to move back to Louisiana. All of those things gnashed my very soul, but what destroyed my spirit was closing the door on the woman I had settled on being. Let me explain.

You see, while on the outside, I was still the strong woman that others tended to lean on in their times of trouble, on the inside, I was a complete and utter mess. I couldn’t concentrate on any one task for too long because my mind and thoughts were held captive in an abusive world that no one knew about.

I never lost my sense of humor because it’s dual purpose in my life was to hide the pain that I felt 24/7. It’s other purpose was to keep the world laughing. I’ve always loved people and may penchant to help them and bring joy into their lives is what I live for.

Photo credit: TransparentTrease

April 2013, though, I had to allow the door to close on the weak, battered woman who was the only image I saw in the mirror. Abuse victims don’t necessarily become comfortable with their brokenness, but most times, they are unable to see anything past the shattered mess they are. I saw nothing good when I looked in the mirror. I saw no beauty.

The woman who was never afraid to stand up for what she believed in was still there, but she doubted any and everything she fought because she knew at some point she would be reminded that she wasn’t thinking straight, or that she was blowing things out of proportion. After a while, she gave up. I had to close the door on her because had I stayed behind that door, the rotting corpse that had invaded her spirit would have eventually consumed the whole woman. I realized there was still something left that was worth saving, but I knew I had to close the door on the pile of ash that was left.

What I’ve learned about the second half of that quote (“…another one opens”) is that it is one of the most glorious promises a person will ever envelop. Having to close a door is ofttimes painful. Most times, it involves leaving a place of comfort. I offer you this little piece of advice: if that door closes, if you’re able to close that door, it was never your permanent door.

Things and people come into our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. Each of those visits carry their own lesson. Every single day of your life, you will find that you’re either the student or the teacher. Sometimes a door will close because you’ve taught another person a lesson; sometimes it will close because you’ve learned the lesson. Always remember that if it closes, another one is about to open.

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Trease Shine Hinton

Written by

Domestic Violence Prevention Advocate| Owner, Scrivener Shine Edits | Blogger | Writer | Speaker | Alumna, Grambling State, Southern New Hampshire University

Coffee House Writers

We are a team of dedicated writers who want to share our work with the world.

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