A Day to Remember Helen Keller

On this day in 1880, Helen Keller was born. At the age of 19 months, due to an unknown illness, Helen Keller lost her sight and hearing. She never let it stop her. She was the first deaf and blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree, she published 12 books and numerous articles, and she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She's a shining example of not letting life take you down.

[image error] In our novel, Depression Cookies , we used a quote from Helen Keller.

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.
This quote inspires Krista to look back at her teenage years, "I remembered feeling my life had been full of closed doors and missed opportunities, doors swung shut without even the slightest push."

It's easier to stare at a closed door than to turn around and see the possibilities. Helen Keller could not see or hear the beauty in the world around her, but she knew it was there. She focused on it. Her quote inspires me to walk a new path when it's presented.

In writing, there are many closed doors. Many rejections. The best thing we can do is learn from those. The open doors make us proud, but sometimes we need to learn a lesson from a door slamming shut to truly appreciate an open door standing before us. Other times, we need the strength to close a door, stare at the doors open to us, and choose.

Take a moment today and evaluate your choices. Don't be afraid to turn the handle on a new door.