03/11/2025
I’m not sure if y’all are ready for this story. My heart certainly wasn’t prepared today, but I’m so grateful it happened.
In 2022, we opened The Mercantile on Broad, a home decor store in downtown Statesville. At the time, I was juggling my job as a high school teacher and spending every spare moment at the store with my little ones, who were still in diapers. We worked long hours and spent countless days there. During this time, we met Jacob, an elderly gentleman from a nearby assisted living facility. At 72, Jacob was completely deaf and mute, but he communicated with us through hand gestures and a few written words. He adored seeing the kids, and they found a sweet way to communicate with him.
Fast forward to November 2024, we sold the store to focus on the rapid growth of our magazine. Everything happened so quickly that we didn’t get a chance to say goodbye to Jacob, and we lost touch. It’s been a year and a half since then. We rarely visit downtown Statesville anymore, but today, while having lunch there, Jacob walked in. I waved to him, but it was clear he didn’t immediately recognize us. The kids had grown so much, my son’s long hair was cut short, and my husband, who Jacob rarely saw, was with us.
Story continued in comments ⬇️🥹
