People may be small on the outside, but mighty on the inside. The same could be said about big people on the outside may be small people on the inside.
What determines the size of a person is their character. I love people and I am very interested in hearing different individuals tell me their story. Of course I get right in there and ask the questions because I am genuinely curious.
I applied for a seasonal position at a Macy's department store this past Christmas, and just when I thought that season had ended, I received a call asking if I could cover a 9 hr. shift. I struggle with fibromyalgia, so the thought of working a long day was a little concerning; nonetheless, I agreed. The day proved to be very eventful as I got the privilege of meeting a "Little Giant".
While on break I began talking to a lady who had come into the break room minutes after I did. I asked her how she was doing and then I began asking her how long she worked at Macy's. She told me how she began working at Strauss Department Store when it was located in downtown Warren many years ago. Her husband had just lost his job and she picked up a job to help out with the families finances. Shortly thereafter her husband was employed again and encouraged his wife to quit her job. Just a few days later, he passed away. She suddenly became a widow and consequently had to keep her retail job. She continued to work for Strauss during it's relocation to the Eastwood Mall in Niles, and continued on after Strauss had been replaced by Kaufman's. She continued working through another change as Kaufman's became Macy's, and she has been there ever since. All the years combined, she has worked for over 50 years. She is now in her 80's and still going at it. She does struggle with arthritis but commented, how all the walking that she does, helps to keep the arthritis at bay. I asked her if she had ever married again of which she replied that to have married again would feel like cheating to her because her husband had been so wonderful. I don't know the specifics because we didn't have a lot of time, but I was amazed by this little sweet lady.
She may be little on the outside, but huge on the inside!
This 80 year old lady is still having to work a 20 hr. work week in order to keep her benefits. I am not sure why she is still having to work for benefits rather than retire, but I can tell you that she does not have a bitter bone in her body. She did not have a "feel sorry for me" mentality. Not one complaining statement or even a hint of complaining came out of her mouth. Her work ethics are impeccable as she told me how many loyal customer awards she had for the month of December. It had to be a record!!
I struggled to work the last 3 remaining hours of my shift due to pain in my back, but the whole day had proved to be a day that I would want to carry with me for a long time to come.
