The Closed Door

Jeepers, it's been such a struggle to remember that it was the right decision to move on from the Read Leaf. It's so hard to get past it when there are daily reminders of what we gave up. And, frankly, even though I'm trying to do lots of other good things, I feel so adrift. I'm trying hard not to fall into a full-on depression.

Mom is visiting from Massachusetts, and I told her that pretty much every time I'm out and about, I run into someone who is sad that the Read Leaf is gone. Just to prove the point, we ran into one of our old customers at Deseret Book in Provo yesterday, who said she really missed us. I asked her what her book club was currently reading. She said they're reading Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman, the Springville Reads city wide book club selection this year. She hadn't gotten a copy of the book yet, and wondered if Deseret Book had it in stock. I said, "Oh, let me check the shelf for you. You know, for old time's sake." They didn't have it in stock. Sigh.

Last night Jack and I were finishing up one of the latest Magic Tree House books, Night of the New Magicians (which, by the way, is a fabulous series). The kids in the book end up in Paris during the 1889 World's Fair and meet Thomas Alva Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, Louis Pasteur and Gustave Eiffel. Each of them explain the "magic" behind their scientific and engineering breakthroughs.

I am taking the words of Alexander Graham Bell as a sign. Or maybe a kick in the pants.

"When one door closes another door opens. But we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us."