“A Powerful True Story of Making Things Work”

“From Mild Temperatures to Freezing Weather”

Once, I had to move from mild weather in Califo
ia to freezing winters in Wisconsin and it was not easy. But along with change comes great personal growth.

I had lived all my life in Califo
ia, but my wife at the time was accepted into Veterinary School in Wisconsin… so there was a great decision to be made. Do we go or do we stay and miss this opportunity?

I had a great job and really didn’t want to leave Califo
ia but I knew it was probably the best thing. Yet the cold hard winters of Wisconsin were heavy on my mind. It’s not easy when it’s 70 degrees below zero outside, but we marched forward and made the decision to move to the Midwest.

I have to say, the first year was not easy. The day we arrived at our new home we had a huge thunderstorm and I had disconnected the trailer from our Jeep. And with all the wind and water the trailer started rolling down the hilly street we lived on. So I ran out in my bare feet to grab the trailer and stop it from rolling down the hill and hitting a parked car. But low and behold, we had puncher vine growing in our new yard and I ended up with thorns all over my feet. Ouch! And the mosquitoes were relentless but we move forward anyway.

But as time went on things became more enjoyable. I loved springtime when everything burst into bloom celebrating life. And we had a couple lakes nearby and all life… even the fish celebrated renewal. Plus all the trees seemed to burst forth with lots of beautiful flowers and green leaves… it was amazing. And the fall colors were amazing and enchanted my heart.

And I even started ice skating, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and lots of other outdoor activities. Plus we had a park across the street, and to see the firsts snow awe-inspiring. Our black lab just loved the snow, and he would put his nose down like a snow shovel and move through the snow… it was very funny to watch.

After the second year, I got used to living in Wisconsin with a great job at the University. Even with the cold winter life in Wisconsin began to grow on me.

And at the same time, my spirit began to grow in many ways. The move across the country was a new beginning. And new beginnings allow a person to understand they can make anything work out. The move made me stronger, it made me more resilient, and most of all it made me understand myself in a deeper way.

The moral of the story is… everything can work out in a positive way… if we only give God a half a chance. All we have to do is trust in God and move forward one step at a time.

We have to remember that God lives in our heart… and all we have to do is follow the still small voice within. And see the good in everything that happens.

Many Blessings to Everyone!

Dr. Paul Haider