Bittersweet

Last week I got the news I had half way been expecting. It is bittersweet. Four years ago this month I got myself involved in something I had never considered before...but it seems to have our lives revolving around it ever since. I got a call from a man I had never met. A friend who had done some legal work gave him my name and he wondered if I would be interested in managing the video store he was opening out here. I was a little bit, well, I was shocked. At the time I was the Relief Society President, was dealing with nearly constant, daily migraines and within a month would be pregnant with Nate. Yet, we decided to do it! It has become an unofficial member of the family... no matter what we were doing, we had to consider what was happening at the video store. Who was working, how was our plan going to work around the store? There were times it was a nightmare, times we had to change our plans even. Holidays took on a new craziness because it had to be open. I remember sitting in the hospital with Nate talking Kailee through the 'summary report' and how to do the deposits. And now, it is closing. I am not surprised. Renting videos from a store? Who does that anymore? We had a few faithful customers who don't 'do' computers, who won't rent from a Red Box, who like the interaction they get from coming into the store and talking to the kids working. And the kids... wow. What an opportunity for them to learn to work, to learn to deal with people in all kinds of circumstances. They learned how to handle people who were mad, rude, angry, disgruntled... but they brought joy to lots of people. It probably cost us more in running them to and from work than they actually made, but how can you put a price on them learning skills that a lot of kids don't learn anymore? I often have people stop me in the grocery store to compliment the kids on something they did at the video store. One night Willie asked a very mouthy, very rude man to watch his mouth since there was a child in the store. The child was with his dad, but Willie was so offended to have this guy swearing in front of the little boy. The dad finally stepped up and stood up to the guy with Willie and then told Willie how impressed he was for saying what he did. Isn't it funny that a 'child' himself knew enough to demand respect from someone when the grown up was willing to tolerate it because that's how people can be? All of my kids from Kimi down to Wyatt have worked there. It's been a place that many of my friends' kids have worked, where Tiffany works also. It's been 4 years. So many things have happened in those 4 years. The first thing Kailee said when she heard was, "Well, maybe it is for the best, then we can all be there when the baby is born!" I laughed at that. There are days when it has been a real pain to get the schedule made, make sure people were there... who can work when??? I think I am the only 'boss' in history that let the kids working give me THEIR schedule. It drove Thayne crazy. He told me to work them when I needed them and let them work everything else around it! I couldn't do it that way. Maybe it is the sucker sign that blinks on my forehead??? :) It will be sad. I have been paying for Tallin's mission with the money. I know things will work out and that it will be less hectic around our house. For a few days! But it was sad walking into the store last night and seeing how empty it is becoming. We will be able to go on vacation without worrying about it now, but it has been fun to get to know the people that have come in over the past 4 years... like I said... bittersweet!