Like so many children I grew up hearing stories of the past from my grandparents, at the time little did I know how the events that occurred in a small brick building had greatly affected my life. The story starts with my grandparents in the early eighties. My grandfather, in his fifties, realized he wanted more for his family than what driving a Pepsi truck could provide while having a late midlife crisis. He was confident and determined he could do more with his life (a combination that would prove successful years later.) He promptly quit his job, much to my grandmother’s dismay, and took out a loan for the payment for a convenience store on the Mantachie - Mooreville city line. Together my grandparents started a new journey as business
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My grandparent’s oldest son unexpectedly passed away- a loss that still affects my family. It was the first and only time the store was completely closed for a full day, but the friends my grandparents had made went over and beyond their job duties and gave them emotional support during the difficult time. They also allowed my family to focus on making arrangements and kept the business going for them during the days following his passing and preceding the funeral. The friends my family had made were essential in the road to healing that followed when everyday life returned to normal, without their oldest son and …show more content…
My grandfather is very straightforward and still pushes me not to “beat around the bush”, which is a personality trait he honed while running the store. He also taught me a lesson he learned while doing business: that if you are not confident in your abilities, other’s will not have confidence in your abilities. My grandmother taught me sacrifices are worth it if you believe in what you are doing, something she learned when she opened a side function of the store. Then there are the moments where I connect the dots and realize how much the store made my mom who she is today and that set the path for the way she would raise me. Now when I look at old photographs of the store, I feel grateful I have memories of being in the place that affected me so greatly, even if they are
My grandparent’s oldest son unexpectedly passed away- a loss that still affects my family. It was the first and only time the store was completely closed for a full day, but the friends my grandparents had made went over and beyond their job duties and gave them emotional support during the difficult time. They also allowed my family to focus on making arrangements and kept the business going for them during the days following his passing and preceding the funeral. The friends my family had made were essential in the road to healing that followed when everyday life returned to normal, without their oldest son and …show more content…
My grandfather is very straightforward and still pushes me not to “beat around the bush”, which is a personality trait he honed while running the store. He also taught me a lesson he learned while doing business: that if you are not confident in your abilities, other’s will not have confidence in your abilities. My grandmother taught me sacrifices are worth it if you believe in what you are doing, something she learned when she opened a side function of the store. Then there are the moments where I connect the dots and realize how much the store made my mom who she is today and that set the path for the way she would raise me. Now when I look at old photographs of the store, I feel grateful I have memories of being in the place that affected me so greatly, even if they are