As we walk through the thresholds of life,
we encounter moments so heavy, so breathless,
they seem impossible to face with human strength—
no, not even with my own.
These are what we call life’s crises.

They come in many forms:
When a long-awaited child is born with a serious condition,
When a business built with one’s entire fortune fails to take root,
When a new home promises stability,
only to be followed by sudden dismissal from work—
Such abrupt turns visit anyone, at any time.

Yet those who have journeyed ahead in life
tell us that these very moments
can become the rarest of opportunities—
even blessings in disguise.

Bernie Marcus, founder of the Home Depot chain,
was born to Russian immigrant parents
and once dreamed of becoming a doctor.
But the cost of medical school proved too great,
and he dropped out, eventually becoming a pharmacist.
After graduation, he worked in small businesses
and found joy in that world.
While employed at Handy Dan, a modest “Do It Yourself” home improvement store,
he began to dream:
What if a large store combined hardware, paint, and building supplies,
where employees taught customers how to replace toilets,
install ceiling fans, or build decks—while selling the tools to do so?

In 1978, he shared this idea with his boss,
hoping for praise.
Instead, the next day, he was fired.

It was a crushing blow.
He had two children, a newly purchased home,
and a mortgage looming.
But he remembered his mother’s words:
“After hardship, good things always come.”

He later met a partner who shared his vision,
and together they built over 1,300 Home Depot stores across the U.S.
Upon retiring at age 72, he confessed:
“The day I was fired was the beginning of the greatest moment of my life.”

Even when the greatest moment stands at our doorstep,
do we not often fall into despair?

– Yoon WanHee, 2/29/2004