PHOTO PROVIDED- Pat and Jim Edwards with Meva Singh.
On Monday, Feb. 28, Jim and I signed the final paperwork on the sale of the Lorane Family Store, ending the long run of almost 45 years since we purchased it from the Mitchell family in December 1977. People are asking me, “How does it feel?” or “What are you going to do now?”
To be honest, my answer to both questions is, “I don’t know.” There are so many memories and emotions swirling around in my head and heart right now. Jim seems happy that it’s finally a “done deal,” but even after 58 years of marriage, I’m not sure if that’s how he really feels or whether it’s how he thinks he’s supposed to feel. Regardless, we must condition ourselves to look ahead at the possibilities that remain to us instead of looking back at what life used to be – what we had always imagined “retirement” would be – and begin to mine for the nuggets of those “Golden Years” that we have all been promised.
We have so many blessings tied up with family. Among the exciting nuggets we have already found is the fact that some of our great-grandchildren are reaching the age when we’ll be able to attend their soccer and T-ball games, their ballet recitals and school pageants. We’ll get to watch them show their 4-H projects at the fairs and treat them to camel rides at Wildlife Safari … and, there is always one of our favorite family group adventures – the jet boat rides on the Rogue River – to share with them. We may no longer be up for the high-energy, “lots of walking on cobblestone streets” kind of travel destinations we had always dreamed of taking someday, but we still have a lot of options available to us.
PHOTO PROVIDED – The Edwards with Balmeet “B” Singh.
So, my answer to those questions is still “I don’t know,” but Jim and I will take the time to let life settle into a sense of “normal” and to let time direct us through the maze of possibilities the future holds for us.
As for the store … we were finally able to meet and acquaint ourselves with the new owners and we are pleased with their excitement and plans for giving it some much-needed updates. They’ve already shown their desire to connect with the community by announcing that the little community library we’ve had at the store over the years will continue to have a home there. The father-and-son team have already begun remodeling with the help of our crew that they are retaining. Meva and Balmeet (aka “B”) Singh are good people who, we are confident, will be a great addition to the community and will fit the tradition of the Lorane Family Store, even if they decide to give it another name.
I’ve been thinking of the Mitchell family a lot in these last few weeks, especially Estelle Mitchell Counts, their daughter who chose Jim and me to carry on for her parents, Bill and Hattie Mitchell, at the store. We were especially close to Stell, and we pray that their light shines on the new owners as it did for Jim and me.
They taught us so much about what “community” is and I will forever cherish the legacy that they entrusted to us.
Godspeed to each of us on our respective journeys.
Website: allthingslorane.com
