At Christmas, we like to hear good stories that happen to good people. FanStory members are no different. I have one to share.

If I start the story at the beginning, it might take a while. So far, it has taken almost eighty years. And while it just got to an exciting part, it's still not finished.

The story is about Annmuma. A long-time FanStory member. Frankly, she could write this story much better than I can. But people like Ann are reluctant to reflect on themselves and say, “Dang, I did good!”

So, allow me to do some reflection.

I joined FanStory a little over a year ago. One of the early works I read was a biographical story by Ann. I enjoyed it, reviewed it, and noted that her profile said she lived in the Dallas area, like me. I said, “Howdy, neighbor.”

Ann read my profile that said in part I was retired after selling my business. She emailed me and said she was interested in selling a business she had started, and she wondered if she could talk to me about how I did it.

We met for the first time a year ago. We did talk about her business. Thirty-four years ago, she started an insurance agency. It was unique. She specialized in insurance for used car dealers in Texas. She started from scratch and then scratched out over four thousand clients. 

Those who have read Ann’s stories of growing up in a small Louisiana parish know of her humble beginnings. Her stories of those times are rich with love, understanding, wonder, and insights. Ann’s mother died when Ann was thirteen.

Please read the story about the first Christmas without her mother. Read this year’s Christmas Story contest entry, A Touch of Cash. Read her story in the Christmas Bonus contest, A Touch of Cash, part 2.

She married young, and finishing college was not her future because children needed support. Ann and her husband Ron provided for their kids. Her stories of those times demonstrate a very fun, creative life.

Ron was a truck driver; when he was not driving a truck, he was driving their RV across the country with her as they looked for birds. Ron died of a heart attack while walking in a park with Ann. She was now a widow in her fifties.

A couple of years later, the same park provides an opportunity for love again. It is in the park she meets and later marries Randell. Many happy years follow until Covid makes Ann, seventy-seven, a widow for the second time. 

It would have been easy for Ann to become depressed. She had to deal with recovering from Covid herself. But she embarked on a mission to find the right buyer for her insurance agency. She held discussions with several suitors. She reviewed their proposals.

After a few months, she decided on one potential buyer. Interestingly, it was not the highest offer. 

"When you spend over thirty years building relationships with employees and clients, you do not want that to go away. The money was important, but the fit was more important."

This past week, Ann reached a significant milestone when a much larger insurance company bought her agency. The deal closed. The check cleared the bank.

I told you earlier I would do the reflecting. I see a little girl and her brother John discussing the first Christmas without their mother.

I see an eighteen-year-old girl attending LSU on a scholarship and working to pay for school. I see a nineteen-year-old moving to Dallas with her best friend. The girl figures she will finish college at SMU.

But life happens. She meets a young man who captures her heart. College would be limited to a course here and there.

The young couple quickly has children. The stress, the fun, and the responsibility of raising a family are theirs to behold. They rejoice in finding ways to support each other.

I see a brave woman in her mid-forties deciding to start her own business, with no experience owning a business and very little working capital.

I feel the sadness of losing not just one love of your life but two.

I know the adrenaline rush of getting your price in selling your business.

I do know the uncertainty of what lies ahead. I have no doubt she will meet it head-on with purpose aforethought.

Ann, it is time for an OVATION. Congratulations on a job well done!