One Door Closes as Another Door Opens

integrity approach Closes, as a nonher Door Opens Growing up in San Diego, atomic paller 20 in a full lusty Portuguese family, complete with the grandparents from the old awkward and the western more(prenominal) contemporary parents was a really colorful upbringing. My grand come and amaze had m whatever old wives sayings and tales that were the foundation of they commission the reacted to sprightliness. Although raised in the precaution and transgression that is k instantlyn as the Catholic religion, my mother always reminded me that even when close tothing bad happens, both(prenominal)thing commodity get out come of it. Now in my Christian flavour, our Pastor Aaron refers to it as When integrity opening closes, another will sensory(a) in its place.In this reflective newspaper I will describe how my brio lives, just rough which were tragic and traumatic and disagreeable that chapter in my bread and stillter, many times a new adit open up, usually with a more positive outcome. Child molestation, becoming a widow at 26 geezerhood of age, and alcoholism are clean a a couple of(prenominal) of the obstacles I endured in my manners. I will explain how some marvelous experiences evolved from these obstacles. I was raised in family of four daughters. I was the second youngest and considered the middle child. My 2 older sisters were seven and cardinal historic period older than me.My mother enforce to say it was want raising devil daughters, two at a time. By the time my older sisters married and go out, my jr. sister and I were on the nose st deviceing adolescence. My siblings and I cohabitated in superstar small bedchamber with two sets of bleed beds in our small two bedroom mansion. My forefather was a hard proceeding painting contractor and my mother was a stay at home housewife. My father drank day-by-day, and my mother spent her old age meticulously cleaning our home. My childhood memories were full of full-s ize family get togethers with aunts and uncles and all the cousins, grandparents and other Portuguese friends.The wo workforce would cook cultural cuisine and the men would frolic cards, gather around and play musical instruments like the guitar, mandolin, and drums. My father vie the spoons and b mavins that were carved from ivory. My father was the comedian, perfume of attention, and the guy who would piece the lamp shade on his head after a few beers. I deplete shared that constitution trait with him since I was very young. My sisters and I would sing and dance for the large gatherings. As a young girl, maybe cardinal years old, I remember scholarship a National Geographic mag article about surgery.I told my mother I was expiration to brisk on that point some day. The tall trees and the mountains of green versus the San Diego hills of houses piled on c everywhere song of one another, was very pleasing to me. take down at that young age, Hollands record theory of career satisfaction (Witt and Mossler, 2010) was apparent. My posit for self sort came out finished drawing pictures of those beautiful mountains and sharing them with my friends and family. I was already leaning towards the artistic and kindly aspects of his theory. When I was around 11 years old a neighbor who was in his forties sexually molested me.His wife could not stick children, so they would invite me and my jr. sister for sleep overs. She had no speck the molestation was happening. She was always so sugariness and caring to us. I was so panic-stricken to go over there any more that I started making excuses. Having to outflow up my interaction with her is my eldest storage of a door ending. I started to find rebellious as the anger and freshness ate me up inside. Alcohol became my extend at the early age of 12. I would sneak vodka from my dads spirits cabinet, and take it to middle indoctrinate to put in my lemonade at lunch. My world was closing in all aroun d me.It was in 8th grade that I had an art form that undefendable another door to me. I would engulf myself in that class everyday and work hard on projects at home. I had found a release for the anger, and a way to railway line it into something positive. I was modifying my behavior without realizing it. Art became a prevalent part of my life. I would carry through poetry which was my form of a diary and I would draw for hours on end. It was in high school where I met my starting love. I had run away from home after an argument with my parents and stayed at a friend of my younger sisters house.His parents were understanding and let me stay there for a week. My parents knew where I was at, and they probably welcomed the fault from me, as much as I did from them. I fell head over heels for him. The closeness and love was so wonderful. I had not been that happy since I was a little girl. We stayed together for two wonderful years. I began to trust again which overt another door that was once closed. I graduated high school with a 4. 0 GPA and wanted to merge the military. That dream would change when I met my runner husband. macintosh and I met at a co op softball game that some friends took me too.He was muscular and athletic. We flirted a bit. I started to leave those warm fuzzy whole toneings again. We travel in together after dating for 6 months. My parents were furious, yet I was an adult. He had been to Oregon for a summer and I was fascinated with his stories. That same year we loaded up the Volkswagen bug and headed to Oregon. Mac wanted to be a fisherman so we travel to Newport. We gave birth to our daughter April in 1976 and my son Smokey in 1977. Life was hard only we managed to get by. In 1980, Mac had stubborn he wanted to go to Alaska for a season because the money was much break dance up there.He left in whitethorn of that year, came back up to see me and the kids for my birthday in June and headed back up in August. That was the perish I saw of him. He drowned on Labor Day weekend, 2 days before April was to start Kindergarten. Smokey was 4 years old. Needless to say, the children and I were devastated. How were we going to live and how on earth was a 26 year old mother of two going to extend? I travel inland to the Willamette Valley and started our new life. It was therefore that my career in the nutrient and beverage industry came into play.I had worked a few hold back and bartending jobs part time, but in a flash I had to make all the income to support us. Mac hadnt paid much into tender Security so that check was more like a stipend than large to live on. I worked and worked sometimes 2 and even 3 jobs to get by. I finally got a gravid fulltime, high-priced paying job at the blushing(a) Lion Inn as a pantry chef. This door helped to strengthen my artistic and social characteristics even more. Creating beautiful food was an art form and the plate was my canvas. all(prenominal) the colors an d placement of the final mathematical product was very satisfying.Having a network of co workers really enhanced my social life. I was moving on and becoming the brainfulness I wanted to be.. happy. My children were now in high school and exploitation into their own wonderful beings. I alike worked 2 nights a week as the Karaoke hostess at the Inn. That job was a great outlet for my self side and social life. I gained the courage to tryout for a topical anaesthetic band and became the beaverow singer and keyboard player. Another door opens. some(prenominal) of my children graduated and take to the woodsd on. My daughter went on to Oregon State University and my son went to work installing home and auto audio systems.I moved back to the coast because my younger sister, who had since moved to Oregon, was going through a rough time. Her husband was losing his battle with cancer. He died later that year. It was while living in Waldport, Oregon, that I posted an ad in the ma tchmaker section of a local newspaper. I was lonely. It was there that I met my expire husband. We dated for a while and life seemed pretty good. We ended moving in together where he owned a home in Lebanon. So back to the Valley I went. I obtained a job as a teachers aide working in the title one program with simple(a) school students.I also coached the high school cheerleading squad. Life was going wellor so I thought. My husband became very controlling and pressured me into getting a s oft paying job. He had a great job and money was never an issue, but he was extremely materialistic. He convinced(p) me that I should become a Realtor, so I took the course, received my license and interchange real estate for 8 years. The vocal and now physical abuse had escalated. I finally packed my bags, filed for divorce and moved out. That door slammed shut By now I had become pretty numb to bad things happening in my life which I had little or no control over.Once again alcohol reared i ts monstrous head in my life. This went on for about a year when I finally decided I had had enough. I started writing my thoughts again and decided I am going back to school. I was 52 years old. I enrolled at a local community college and focused on academics for the first term. Then I sign up for a couple of art classes and that became the door that clear up my life so dramatically and positively. My creative juices were slick again. I had my self- confidence back, and I was expressing my artistic and social self again.I entered some(prenominal) of my whole caboodle in art shows and won a few awards. I felt like I was back on top. I believe that even though I had some terrible life experiences that I will never forget, they all opened up doors for me to grow and become the woman I knew God had created me to be. Divorce often leaves emotional scars that last a ache time. Both men and women usually experience emotional challenges after divorce, including loneliness, lower s elf-esteem, nettle about the future day, difficulty forming new relationships, fear of failure in new relationships and falloff (Amato, 2006).I can honestly say I have experienced all the to a higher place mentioned, but I am tick offing to cope effectively and the impact has lessen for me. My goals for my future are emphasizing the grandness of an education to my grandchildren, accomplishing and receiving my Bachelors in Fine humanistic discipline with the focus on Early puerility Education and using what I have learned to teach art to children and to extend teaching art to senior citizens.I feel with my artistic and social personality characteristics as explained by Hollands theory, (Witt and Mossler, 2010) that I will have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of children. Art and the expression of art have saved my lifenumerous times. Another door that has opened for me is very exciting. I have reconnected with my first love from high school on face book. He still lives in California and we talk and text everyday on the phone. He will be visiting me soon. We have rekindled our love and I truly believe that we are going to be together again.With all I have learned from my aside relationships I feel this will be the best ever Relationship history is not your relationship future (David Niven Ph. D). Your Relationship future is not limited by your experiences of the past or by your disappointments of the past. You can learn from your experiences and avoid mistakes of the past. In conclusion, I have learned a great get off about myself through my life experiences. I know that I am a strong, resilient individual.I have had numerous proscribe circumstances happen in my life, several of which were beyond my control. I did manage to survive them all, and grew from this multitude of trials and tribulations. Wisdom has prevailed and blessed my soul and heart. I embrace the adventures that lie ahead. When one door of happiness closes, another o pens (Helen Keller) but often we look so coherent at the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us. I have learned to move forward through the open door and to welcome all that it has to offer.