An Open Window
“And when one door opens to another door closed, I hope
you keep on searching ‘til you find a window.” -Rascall Flatts
“We’re moving.” One noun, one verb phrase, one simple sentence that changed my life. It was the cause of countless tears, hours of packing, hours of unpacking, and days of new experiences. As my parents broke the news, I found my eyes drifting to the window, observing the neighbor’s small children playing in their yard.
All the lights were turned off, all the doors locked, the truck was packed. We left nothing in the house except a few pieces of furniture, for the viewing pleasure of potential buyers. A tear slipped off my cheek as the car backed out of the driveway for the last time. For the duration of the four-hour ride to our new home, the only thing I could do was stare out the window, watching as the scenery changed from the lush green mountains of Lynchburg to the flat, dull sand of Virginia Beach.
Which box has my clothes? And which one has all the pictures of my friends?” There were too many boxes, cluttering my room as I threw them around, attempting
to unpack by priority. “It’s too dark in here,” muttered my mother as she pulled open the curtains. Outside, the sun was setting over the ocean. It was the first time I had seen this picture-perfect view since living in the new home. As she left the room, I closed the curtains in retaliation. “Maybe I like it better in the dark,” I snapped.
My first day at the new school, and I wanted nothing more than to curl up in a corner and disappear. I was sitting in the guidance office, waiting for my forms to be approved, when the bell rang for the students to switch classes. Through the open door, I could see my fellow students scurrying down the hallway to class. I anxiously waited for the student volunteer to give me a tour of the seemingly massive school building.
Following the all-too-brief tour, I sat in my new classroom. The teacher dragged on about the test the following class, which I would of course be exempt from taking. My eyes and mind fled to the window, where I could see the cars passing on the street below. I wasted the class wondering who was driving the fast red car, who was driving the old car with style. The window was my escape.
What I never realized was my inability to open the window. Instead of moping around and wishing I had never moved, I should have opened the window and jumped right in. (The metaphorical window of course, I would never jump out of an actual window…) If I could go back in time and tell myself one thing, it would be to understand that everything happens for a reason. Though it is completely cliché, it is pure truth. When everything around me seemed to be headed in the wrong direction, I never took the time to understand that it was actually going in the right direction. I just needed to turn around and go with it.
Looking back on my moving experience, one and a half years later, I do not know where I would be if I had never moved. Many opportunities and experiences have become available that would never have happened if I never left Lynchburg. People have come into my life that are now extremely special to me. I would never know of their existence without the move. It was a hard process to endure, without a doubt the hardest stage of my life to date. However, through it I have come to understand that in difficult times, I am pushed to become a better person. I have learned that things always get better, no matter what.
you keep on searching ‘til you find a window.” -Rascall Flatts
“We’re moving.” One noun, one verb phrase, one simple sentence that changed my life. It was the cause of countless tears, hours of packing, hours of unpacking, and days of new experiences. As my parents broke the news, I found my eyes drifting to the window, observing the neighbor’s small children playing in their yard.
All the lights were turned off, all the doors locked, the truck was packed. We left nothing in the house except a few pieces of furniture, for the viewing pleasure of potential buyers. A tear slipped off my cheek as the car backed out of the driveway for the last time. For the duration of the four-hour ride to our new home, the only thing I could do was stare out the window, watching as the scenery changed from the lush green mountains of Lynchburg to the flat, dull sand of Virginia Beach.
Which box has my clothes? And which one has all the pictures of my friends?” There were too many boxes, cluttering my room as I threw them around, attempting
to unpack by priority. “It’s too dark in here,” muttered my mother as she pulled open the curtains. Outside, the sun was setting over the ocean. It was the first time I had seen this picture-perfect view since living in the new home. As she left the room, I closed the curtains in retaliation. “Maybe I like it better in the dark,” I snapped.
My first day at the new school, and I wanted nothing more than to curl up in a corner and disappear. I was sitting in the guidance office, waiting for my forms to be approved, when the bell rang for the students to switch classes. Through the open door, I could see my fellow students scurrying down the hallway to class. I anxiously waited for the student volunteer to give me a tour of the seemingly massive school building.
Following the all-too-brief tour, I sat in my new classroom. The teacher dragged on about the test the following class, which I would of course be exempt from taking. My eyes and mind fled to the window, where I could see the cars passing on the street below. I wasted the class wondering who was driving the fast red car, who was driving the old car with style. The window was my escape.
What I never realized was my inability to open the window. Instead of moping around and wishing I had never moved, I should have opened the window and jumped right in. (The metaphorical window of course, I would never jump out of an actual window…) If I could go back in time and tell myself one thing, it would be to understand that everything happens for a reason. Though it is completely cliché, it is pure truth. When everything around me seemed to be headed in the wrong direction, I never took the time to understand that it was actually going in the right direction. I just needed to turn around and go with it.
Looking back on my moving experience, one and a half years later, I do not know where I would be if I had never moved. Many opportunities and experiences have become available that would never have happened if I never left Lynchburg. People have come into my life that are now extremely special to me. I would never know of their existence without the move. It was a hard process to endure, without a doubt the hardest stage of my life to date. However, through it I have come to understand that in difficult times, I am pushed to become a better person. I have learned that things always get better, no matter what.