There is an elementary school where we live that is closing its doors after some 65 years. They were having a presentation of the school’s achievements to many that taught there and attended there. The school superintendent got up and told the people attending, don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.

I thought that was a pretty profound statement that can apply to much of our lives. Obviously this would not apply for the loss of a family member or other personal situations but for a lot of areas in our lives, it is pretty good advice.

I remember when I resigned some years ago from the publicly traded company I was working for. It was a tough decision and an even more difficult period in my life where this advice would apply to that scenario. My time with that company happened and I learned a lot about business when I was there. I also remember the day I took both of my daughters to college. Those two days were among the most emotional days of my life. I realized they were not just going to college, rather they were leaving home. Anyone who has experienced this life change knows what I am talking about. You know in your heart that that your children going to college is the next step in life and the best next step they could make but it was still very difficult.

There was another time in my life back in 1987 when I was running some restaurants for a company and one of their owners had a Mac computer with a 9 inch black and white screen. He had just learned how to work excel. Well, he thought I should also learn excel and he made me stand behind him and learn the program. I wanted to pick that little computer up and hit him with it because it was during hours upon hours he made me learn it.

The funny thing is that today, excel is the main financial program all businesses function off of and had I not learned it in 1987 I would not be able to do what I do for a living. God can see 20 years ahead in our life when we can only see this afternoon

Think of the homes you have sold and moved from, the jobs you have changed, churches you have attended, the changes in your set of friends, the personal changes in your life and professional changes in your life. This statement by this school superintendent rings true in many situations. Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened. KT