Looking For An Open Door

"When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us." --Helen Keller

This is the true story of how I reconnected with a long lost friend last summer.  I think it is an amazing story and I hope you will find it inspirational as well.  Perhaps you will be reminded of how doors that close often lead to new ones that open up in our lives in unexpected and delightful ways.  In this case, the door that closed for me was my life before cancer.  But if it hadn't been for cancer, I wouldn't have found yoga, or my old friend, Laura.  So here goes......

Positive Energy

Last June I attended a weekend retreat with my Noble Circle women's cancer support group.  It was our annual "Project Sisterhood Retreat" and those in attendance each had an opportunity to receive complimentary energy treatments including Reiki, Cranial Sacral, Intuitive Reflexology, Sound Energy, and Massage.   I received three of these treatments on the first night of the retreat, which apparently resulted in a lot of positive energy coming my way!

The final treatment I received that night was Reiki.  As I sat outside on a bench waiting for my appointment, I took a moment to text my husband and kids to see how they were doing.  Just before I went inside, my husband texted these words: "Remember to do mindful breathing."

Later, he didn't even remember texting that, but anyway, I took his words to heart.  I decided to meditate and repeat a mantra in my head during the treatment.  This was my mantra:

"I am where I am supposed to be.  I am using my gifts.  I am finding my purpose."

Serendipity

Before I went to bed that night I had a conversation with someone about my family's upcoming vacation at the YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park, Colorado.  We had not stayed there before, but I told them about how this YMCA was a family resort that offered a wealth of nature, adventure, and fitness activities.  I also had another conversation that night about how I had once worked for the Illinois Department of Public Health. 

Remember these seemingly two unrelated conversations, they are important to the story.  

Fast forward to the next morning.  I awoke early and since I had plenty of time before our morning yoga session and breakfast, I decided to use my iPhone to look up the YMCA's website and do some vacation planning.  Specifically, I wanted to see if they offered a yoga class, because yoga had become an important part of my life.  I immediately saw that they had a link to their Facebook page, so I clicked on it.  I began scrolling down their page, and the first picture that came up was of two women doing yoga outdoors with mountains in the background.  Here's a screenshot:   

I'm not sure what I noticed first, Laura's name, or her face, but there on my iPhone screen, was my old friend who I hadn't seen or spoken to in almost 20 years.  

Guess where I had first known Laura?  Through my job at the Illinois Department of Public Health!  We worked together on Health Promotion programs and were good friends at the time.  Back in those days, I was dating my husband, so Laura was also friends with him.  Sometimes we all went out dancing together.  However,  we lost track of each other after my husband and I got married and moved to Iowa, and Laura moved to California.  Like I said earlier, that was nearly 20 years ago, long before Facebook made it easier to keep in touch.   I thought of Laura many times over the years, and I even tried with no avail to find her online.  

Keep in mind that Laura and I had not talked about yoga or anything related to it when we had known each other before.  Laura became a certified yoga instructor and licensed massage therapist just a few years ago and now owns her own business, Homegrown Yoga and Massage, which is a vendor on the grounds of the YMCA of the Rockies, where I had booked my family's vacation!  

Reunited

Laura (left) and me in her massage cabin at the YMCA.  

I called the YMCA of the Rockies the following Monday and left a message with their office.  I told them that I was Laura's long lost friend, Christine, and left my phone number.  Laura called me back during her lunch break.  It was so good to hear her voice! That night we had a longer phone conversation, catching up on what we had been up to during the past 20 years.  I told her about my three kids, being a military spouse, moving across country a few times, and having breast cancer.  She told me of her adventures living at two different Zen centers, working on a statewide smoke-free restaurant initiative in California, and how she had been drawn to the YCMA of the Rockies and had changed her career to focus on yoga and massage.  

A few weeks later, we met again in person, and she spent several days with us during our vacation, getting to know my kids, and reconnecting with me and my husband.  It was wonderful!  My entire family attended two of her yoga classes.  We shopped, dined, hiked, picnicked, laughed and had a great time. She also treated me to a massage, which was awesome.  

While I was there, I found out about the Rhythms of Nature Yoga and Nature Retreat that Laura facilitates each September at the YMCA.  I later attended that retreat, but that will have to be another post!  

So, here's to finding more open doors!  

Namasté