On the eighth day of Christmas gifting, inspiration came to me . . . in the form of very sad news of the passing of one of my most beloved and loyal customers, and a $25 credit through Small Business Saturday. What does this loss have to do with a promotion from American Express? {Bear with me on this one, it does end well.}
Yesterday afternoon, I received a call from Sara in the Chapel Hill store letting me know that our treasured Mrs. Mangum had passed away. Elizabeth “Liz” Mangum, for those who did not have the good fortune to know this jewel of a woman, was 80 years young and the epitome of warmth, grace and generosity. I had only been open a few short months in Chapel Hill when she first visited Salutations in 2002. She captured our hearts instantly by engaging us in her witty conversation, laughing heartily at the Patience Brewster cards that she so dearly loved, and enriching our lives with her stories of foreign travel, the opera, museums, and her family and friends.
It was always a treat when Mrs. Mangum would visit our store, chauffeured there by her husband Ben who {after spending several trips waiting in the car} began to accompany her into the shop and engage in the always fascinating conversations until he became one of our family as well. Mrs. Mangum would leave with dozens of greeting cards that she would faithfully send to her friends and relatives at every occasion and every holiday. Every year, she would order 200-300 Christmas cards {usually a Crane engraved card with her favorite combination of fine art and religious sentiment} and she would painstakingly {literally, due to severe osteoporosis} spend months signing each one with a special handwritten message inside. In fact, when I first saw the Madonna & Child holiday card pictured above in the Crane album this year, I thought “Ooh, I know Mrs. Mangum will love this card.” Now, I’m heartened by an image of Mrs. Mangum skipping merrily through the pearly gates and waltzing up to introduce herself to the Virgin Mary!
For Liz Mangum, the act of sending a holiday card was not done out of duty or obligation. It was the expression of a true desire to share her love and friendship with those for whom she cared. I have no doubt that every lucky recipient of one of Mrs. Mangum’s cards and letters had their day brightened and their heart warmed when they opened that envelope.
Salutations was often a lucky recipient of Mrs. Mangum’s heartfelt thoughts and cards. In fact, I have a collection of several handwritten cards from Mrs. Mangum in which she took the time and effort to let me know how special the Salutations shop was and to thank me for our wonderful products and services {including one sent to me in my Charlotte store after I’d moved}. We have also on several occasions received wonderful treats sent to us by the Mangums to express their love and gratitude for Salutations and its staff. {I am always amazed and deeply grateful when we receive such gifts from our customers ~ feeling that their continued business is their thanks and we should be sending notes and gifts of thanks to them.}
Yesterday afternoon, Ben Mangum and his daughter made a trip to the Chapel Hill store to personally let us know that our dear Mrs. Mangum had passed away on Friday. They told Sara and the girls that we had always made her feel like a princess when she visited our store. {In a way, I’m glad that I was in the Chapel Hill store the day before and not yesterday, as I would not have been able to contain the tears that are flowing now.} Sara and Lesli will be attending the memorial service in her honor.
When Sara called to give me the news, I was saddened and then in disbelief. Had Mr. Mangum really visited the store just to let us know in person of the loss of his life partner? Yes, he had. Had Mrs. Mangum really handwritten so many notes and sent such wonderfully thoughtful gifts to our business just to thank us and express her appreciation? Yes, she had. Mrs. Mangum was truly a remarkable woman and she will be deeply missed.
I started to ponder all of this and wonder, “What kind of a business relationship involves an 8-year friendship with people who repeatedly send cards and gifts to the store just to let the staff know that they are appreciated? What kind of a business has a grieving husband deliver the sad news in person so that we didn’t need to learn of his wife’s passing in the obituaries? What kind of a business has staff members who attend memorial services of a customer?” Then the answer came to me loud and clear, “Small businesses. Every day, in every city across America. That’s the kind of business.”
As more and more small business owners decide that the blood, sweat and tears is no longer worth the return, or that it is simply impossible for them to continue, and they close their doors, stories like this beautiful friendship with Mrs. Mangum will continue to become more and more rare.
This Saturday is Small Business Saturday, a movement created by American Express. To support small business, American Express is giving registered cardholders a $25 statement credit when they spend at least $25 at a small business on Saturday, November 27th.
Did you know that for every year in the last decade, 60-80% of new jobs were generated by small businesses? Did you know that for every $100 spent at a local small business, $68 returns to the community? These are just a few of the economic reasons to support your small businesses and help to ensure that they will continue to survive and thrive ~ the intangible, human reasons are too numerous to count.
So, this Saturday, stop by Salutations. Emulate Mrs. Mangum and pick out the perfect holiday card to really let your friends and family know how much you care, or find a great holiday gift. While supporting a small business, you can also receive $25 for yourself. It’s a win-win-win.
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