"Bye, Seth's Family!"

Seth had to work tonight. December is the busiest month of the year at Macaroni Grill, and they try to give him Sundays off but can't always. Shulamith and I stopped by to visit him, and as we were leaving, several employees shouted after us, "Bye, Seth's family!"

"Seth's family." Because now Seth is the Mac Grill employee, and we are his family.

As we got in the car, it occurred to both of us that when Shulamith first started working at Mac Grill, Seth was only four years old. She was 18 and a freshman at Westminster College. I wanted her to get a job on campus, but she decided to drive all the way across town to host at some Italian restaurant. I was sure she'd wind up in a ditch somewhere, after sliding off the snowy road late at night while driving back to her dorm, and I'd be in Montana unable to do a single thing to help her. Oh the nightmares of an anxiety mom!

In some ways that all seems so long ago. In 12 years, the "Mac Shack" has played a significant role in four of my kids' lives, and mine. I've been there dozens of times to hang with one kid or another as they hosted, bussed tables, ran food, or served guests. In all those years, there was only one, brief, three-month period when I didn't have a kid working there. Eli worked both pre and post mission, and Isaiah worked there all through college. They still go back and help out occasionally, during the busy times.

But in reality, it's now all Seth. He is everyone's favorite: favorite busser, favorite food runner, favorite host. "Bye, Seth's family!"

The first time I walked into Macaroni Grill was 12 years ago, when I was here to spend the weekend with Shulamith, and she had to work. I sat by myself in the corner; I still remember which table even. She was brand new, so she couldn't come hang out and talk with me. I just watched her work, so proud. I love to watch my kids do anything, even seat guests in a restaurant. It's the same pride I felt this evening as I watched Seth set up tables for parties, seat guests, and train new support staff.

As we left and began to think about our family's history there, both Shulamith and I decided time goes by way too fast. "Mom, he was only four years old when I started working here. That's just crazy."

Yep, crazy. Now he's a legacy, the final Erichsen-Webster kid to work at Mac Grill.

"Bye, Seth's family."