Moving On

Almost 30 years ago my husband and I moved to Quarryville with our young family. The first time we drove through the town, I was under impressed with the “Main Street”.  However, it was not long before I began to understand that Solanco's sense of community is one of their greatest strengths.
 

We rented a farm house and our landlord shared with us where the best place to buy our milk was. They invited us to church and to dinner. They made us feel like part of their family. And, I began to feel like I had moved “home”.

 

As our children grew, we began to develop relationships with families through their school and activities. We developed relationships through our church. And, we developed relationships in the borough of Quarryville.

For the past 7 ½ years I have had the privilege of developing many special relationships as I have managed the Community Closet Thrift Store. We have many customers who shop in the store on a very regular basis. There are some customers who make stopping in the store a regular part of their week. Many of the customers have become my friends and I miss them when I don't see them for a while. They have shared their joys and their sorrows with me as we have taken a few minutes to chat in the store.

I will always remember some of the stories. I remember the young mom who was expecting her second child. During her pregnancy, her husband passed away in an accident. She now had great needs and was going through a time of grief. I was able to share the love of Christ with her.

I will remember another customer who is in her 40's. I asked how she was doing and she said, “O, okay”. But she said it in a way that made me ask her what was going on. She shared with me that her husband had recently passed away from an unexpected heart attack. She also was walking through a deep time of grief and I was able to share Christ's love with her.

And then there are the friendships with the volunteers. Each morning we have a time of prayer together where we often laugh and cry together. They share their stories and what is going on in their families.

I hear the voices of volunteers in different situations.  I remember the volunteers laughing together and having fun as they work. I remember them sharing their joys and sorrows with each other. Friendships are developed as they work together.

And so, as I move to another chapter of my life away from New Hope Community Closet, I will miss the friendships that I have made. And, I have come to know that Quarryville's real strength is their sense of community and love for each other. Quarryville has indeed become home to me. Being part of the Solanco community is a blessing

I have learned so much as I have managed the Community Closet. I have learned to rely on God day by day. I have let God love others through me as my love is less than perfect.

My desire has been to give God glory through all I did. Helping the store to be a great place to shop has always been about giving the customers a great shopping experience. My hope has been that God's love, kindness and peace would be seen each day to each of the customers.

And so, this chapter of my life is ending and another is beginning. I hold you all in my heart. Your voices and memories will stay with me for the rest of my life. Thank you each so much for being such a wonderful part of my life.

Deb Riddell

Closet Manager