No, it wasn't an unfortunate workplace accident. I lost my gal Friday. My walking Rolodex. The peanut butter to my jelly. I lost my Madeleine.
This explains long gaps in blog posts. It also explains why my Christmas cards never got sent, why my daughter's Valentines won't be handmade, why I missed several hair appointments, and why there's a pile of dry cleaning that will soon need a postal code, taking over the corner of my office.
Madeleine was my personal assistant. My proof reader. My Word perfect. Madeleine knew I liked spring flowers and vanilla scented candles at Open Houses. She knew Excel, that I like lots of cream in my coffee, and how I'm a sucker for warm cinnamon buns. Madeleine knew my kids' birth dates, play dates, and dental appointments. She knew my clients, and my clients' addresses – alphabetically. Madeleine made me feel like Wonder Woman. But she was also my friend.
Madeleine got an offer she couldn't refuse, and (with plenty of notice) she left me. It was an excellent career move, with saner hours – and I was thrilled for her. But hers would be big shoes to fill. It's hard to improve on perfection.
Real Estate is a full time job. It requires weekend work. Evening work. Holiday work. And tons of paperwork. Real Estate is physical. Last week I shovelled and sanded sidewalks – in heels. I called a plumber to unfreeze some pipes. I almost knocked myself out with an attic hatch. I picked up a dead mouse with a pair of oven mitts. I took greasy fingerprints off a stainless steel fridge with the hem of my sweater. I dumped kitty litter. And – on at least a dozen occasions – I started to call Madeleine.
I can get keys cut. I can "broom clean" a basement. I can plunge a toilet. And I can pick out the perfect house closing gift. What I can't do is craft the perfect bow. I miss the extra (perfectly manicured) hand. The hand that knew exactly when to place her finger on the ribbon – holding the knot firmly in place as I simultaneously talked on the phone and fumbled with loose ends.
It may be a little late – and she may not be able to hear – but I'd like to put my two hands together and give Madeleine a big round of applause.
It would have come sooner, but I've been busy.
meghanlaing@domus.ns.ca
