It’s funny, I never had a desire to own my own restaurant. In fact seeing how much hard work my family put into it made me even more apt to not want to take it over, but now that it’s coming to an end I wonder what my life would have looked like if I had taken it over. There really is something to leaving behind a legacy and I think my family’s restaurant will leave a lasting legacy of great food and friendship.

My family opened up a Mexican restaurant in our small town almost 30 years ago. I was eight when it started. I began working at it when I was thirteen. I’ve done every job there was at this restaurant. I started as a busser, then I waited tables, I’ve been the dishwasher, and then in my later years in high school I was an assistant cook. Then I was the main cook. I’ve been a manager, a hostess, I’ve closed out the register at the end of the night. I’ve hired people. I’ve fired people. This environment is where I learned to work hard. 

I’ve worked on and off at our restaurant for almost 25 years. That’s a long time. I’ve worked there so long that my aunt trained me and I just finished training my own niece. There have been four generations who have worked there. I grew up there. The restaurant has supported me financially and emotionally through most of my life. It has supported my whole family.

Working with your family can be fun, even humorous at times. But it wasn’t always sunny. I’ll never forget my first official day of work when I was 13. I had to ride my bike to get there and right before I left I had finished my hairdo and was spraying it with hairspray and accidentally sprayed it in my eye. I remember it stinging so bad and trying to rush to flush it with water while trying my hardest to get out the door so I wouldn’t be late.

Well I was late. I remember looking at the clock and I was one minute late. I walked in the door and my mom tore into me with a lecture about being late for work and how unprofessional it was. Well you better believe I’ve never been late to work since then. It was definitely a lesson I took with me throughout my whole professional career.

There were many other lessons I learned while working for my family. Some were harder to learn than others. Our family restaurant has shaped me into the woman I am today and for that I am grateful.

But mostly I’m grateful to God. He provided a stable financial environment. He provided a home life filled with the love of family. He provided coworkers who became best friends. He provided a business that made me proud to be a part of. He provided the environment where my whole family was able to grow up together. 

More than the business, I’m proud to be part of a family legacy that follows God. It was never a perfect walk, but there was kindness, there was generosity, there was love. 

Through this family business they taught me to help those in need, to be patient when things weren’t going my way, to love all people, and to trust that God has a plan.

Matthew 25:35-40 says, “ ‘For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’”

The amount of people my family has helped through their business truly reminds me of this verse. Although this chapter of our lives is coming to an end, I will hold all of these things with me throughout my life. 

Truly, my life has been forever shaped by growing up in a family-run business, and although I won’t be taking over the business, I’m thankful for how far it’s taken me. I’m excited to see where our family will go next. With God, all things are possible.