Legacy Alter - Part 2 of 2
There is a man who is behind the scenes running around building altars, arbors, and fixing all the things. You don’t see him much unless he is your bartender, but he does more in the background that keeps the place running. His name is Caleb Stephens.
Caleb has been the one who has made the venue come to life.
We couldn’t talk about my grandparents, without giving the story of his grandparents as well. Because without them, he would not be the man he is today.
Caleb’s take on Legacy
To say I am the man I am today based only on four people’s influence and guidance would not be entirely true, but these four people have definitely been impactful on my life and the legacies that they have left for me to carry on are incredibly important to me. The lessons I have learned starting at an early age have stuck with me my entire life.
Legacy to me is a Pa who would literally give the shirt off of his back to someone in need, regardless of how big and pale his belly was. It is walking into a restaurant, shaking a veterans hand, and buying their meal all the while going home hungry because it was the only $20 in his pocket. Legacy is offering jobs to people in need without knowing anything about them just to have tools stolen from him and responding with, “If they needed them that bad, then they needed them more than me.” Later, going to the pawnshop to find them just to re buy them. Legacy is constantly putting others needs in front of yourself.
Hard working and selfless.
Legacy is a Nenaw who has the quietest voice in the room, but the most impactful words. It is the ability to get your point across and show that you genuinely care without any negativity. Legacy is the ability to stand beside your husband and trust in him to provide, regardless of how much stress it may put on her. It is the voice of reason that pulls family together. It is the patience to find peace in some of life’s biggest struggles.
Patient and Kind.
Legacy is a Papaw who is constantly making time for other people and making a point to show others that you truly care about them by remembering its their birthday and calling and singing them happy birthday every year. Legacy is always putting God first in everything. It is being dedicated to the church and all of the unnoticed work that goes into the many groups and committees that he has selflessly served on. Legacy is hard work and dedication to a business and a community for over 50 years. It is waking up early, drinking 6 cups of coffee before 10am, and taking care of all the needs of the business, the employees, and the community all the while raising a family to have the same values that you possess. It is tinkering on projects in hopes to make things better than they were before without asking for any help.
Humble and Giving.
Legacy is a grandmother who, by the talk of the town, was one of the sweetest, most kindhearted women in the community. It is hearing stories of how nice, patient, and kind she was and how sad it was when she passed. It is never meeting her, but knowing how much of a blessing she was for the community and family. Legacy is a Memaw who would always have an assortment of zebra gum, soft peppermints, and pens to doodle with at church to keep you occupied. It is always meeting you with a smile, a hug, and a kiss on the cheek. Legacy is family and the importance of lunch after church where her famous lasagna drew everyone together.
Family and Community.
Some of the most important legacies left by some of the most important people push me to strive to be a hard working, selfless, patient, kind, humble man with a giving heart centered around God, family, and community.
