I knew it was going to be a wonderful day when driving in terrible highway traffic on my way to a closing Monday morning I saw a beautiful rainbow in the sky.    That morning I was going to a closing for a client and friend of mine, who having endured a divorce,  was purchasing a new home for herself and her kids.   For a few days before the closing day, I had a feeling of trepidation.  I don’t know why really.  I think because I wanted so much for things to go smoothly for my friend – who had already been through so much-that I was terrified that things would go wrong some how.   I prayed in church on Sunday that all would be well.  But deep down I still had an uneasy feeling.  Of course I didn’t tell her this…she’s reading it now as you all are…there was no real reason for my feeling except perhaps a lack of Faith.    When I saw the rainbow – a sign of God’s covenant with Noah from the OT – I knew all would be well.   And it was.  It was a closing that was joyful for new beginnings,  some relief that all was done and a little bit of sadness for a chapter in life that closed.    She and I both shed a few tears.   I am thankful that she chose me to be there with her on this journey.

Monday set the tone for the rest of my week.   And it’s fast becoming a week of gratitude and renewed Faith!

The week before, another good friend of mine referred me to her neighbors who were downsizing and had moved into an assisted living apartment complex.   I took their listing and started the process of organizing the painting, cleaning and emptying of their home.   I was worried that the timeline of trying to get the home live on the internet before the Thanksgiving holiday would be too much for this couple and their family who would be doing most of the heavy lifting.    When I met the painter at the home this week to discuss colors for the house, I met three daughters and other various family members who were so delightful and willing to work with my schedule that I left them feeling a sense of excitement and determination to do the best that I can for this wonderful family.   This sale will be one that has sadness too…leaving a beloved home full of memento’s and memories….but also one of relief and happiness that two very loved parents will be safe and secure in their new home.   I am hopeful that I will have made some new friends in this process too!  I am grateful for my friend who referred me to them.  And I am grateful to have met these wonderful people.

In between all the real estate related stuff, my younger son John passed a securities exam that he had to take with his new job.   It was a giant test…with so much information crammed into a short time of studying that only a few pass on the first try.   John was told that most of the people at his company that do pass on the first try were Indiana University Kelley School of Business grads – of which he is one.   No pressure, John!   He passed and called to tell me Monday afternoon.   He will also receive a monetary bonus.  He was over the moon!  So was his mom.   Someone once said, “as a parent you are only as happy as your most unhappy child”.   So true.   So when a child achieves something like this, I feel that I have achieved it too.   He is smart like his mother, after all.

Lastly, I got to meet with an old friend whose home I sold three years ago – another long term home full of memories and a life well lived.   These clients moved to Florida to escape the cold and to be nearer to one of their children.   They came into St. Louis for a wedding and called me so we could see each other briefly.   It warmed my heart to see them both.   In our brief time together, my friend  – ( and he knows who he is) -complimented me on my writing and the “newsletter” I send out.   BUT, he said I need to print the letter with more block letters, larger and without a picture background because he has a hard time reading it without a magnifying glass!   I told him he was not the first of my clients to tell me this.  SO!  This one will be for him.   Plain, simple and easy to read.

So THANK YOU for all of your friendships and business and referrals.   Keep it up!!!  I need you all not just for your business but for what I learn from each of you – to have Faith, to endure, to laugh, to cry and to be amazed at the trust you show me.