Raising Canes of Ohio (our partnerships restaurant company) is approaching 1,000 employees. At that size, I find it cool that our son, Timmy, its founder still does many exit and stay interviews with its crew members and managers.

A woman who moved from crew to management last year met with Timmy recently. During their time together Timmy was bemoaning the loss of the lease on his first store, where Hali worked as a crew member. It was just a move a few blocks down due to lease loss but Timmy has been pretty bummed that the first restaurant he started in 2004 is gone.

After their meeting, she wrote this to Tim:

"A couple years ago I told you I'd like to get into management but I was being held back by not having a car. A month later, I bought my car (a real beater) and soon after that I left my crew spot and entered our management training program.

After I parked that old car and headed in for my first manager training day, I patted it and said "you may not be my forever car, but you'll always be my life changing car."  

Now another year later, I've gone from barely being able to pay my bills to giving my kids a Christmas I never had and this Christmas we will pay it forward by adopting another family from Salvation Army.

So when you mourn your first location, Tim, remember my first car. It wasnt your forever location but it will always be your life changer. And it changed a lot of other peoples lives too."

I get chills every time I read that email. What a brilliant child she must be. In fact, I plan to go find her at her restaurant and give her a hug for teaching me another important lesson for my own life.

Change is hard for me always was and always will be. I mourn what I leave behind. But what Hali is trying to remind me is that clinging to my past is not only useless, its worse, it keeps me from living my present, with gratitude and respect for all that led me here.

Like Hali's car, today's experience will become tomorrows life changer. Indeed, nothing at all is forever. 

Peace,

Tim