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I fell in love with my client

By
Real Estate Agent with Red Key Realty Leaders

    Heartbeat            

Yes, Its true.

This handsome man with his perfectly pressed jeans and his winning smile opened his door a few weeks ago

 ...and I fell.

            My partner, Christine and I went on a listing call, and when this gentleman opened the door I knew I was a goner. We sat at the dining room table and he talked to us about his life , showed us                                                                     pictures of his athletic pusuits and just  charmed us both. He told us                                                                 of his love of flying, and how he rode his bike speeding down the road...                                                        

 as fast as he could

...without using his brakes!

         His wife just passed away, and he wanted to talk to us about listing his home.

You see, it was way too big for him now.  He still woke up in the middle of the night and called out to his beloved wife. When he spoke of her, you could see the love in his eyes. Talk about an upbeat , positive person, full of life. You see, he knows she is in a better place...and he will see her again.

         We went back to see him yesterday.   He was, as always, a perfect gentleman. We brought lunch, and he had set the table in anticipation of our arrival. We had a lovely time. We talked, laughed ,and at times were amazed at how close we felt to a man we had so recently met.. He told us we were "his girls" and that he loved us too.  We all had tears in our eyes when we said good bye.

                                                                      You see...

         His daughters are coming to get him today ,to put him in an assisted living home in another  part of the state.   He has gotten a little forgetful ,and they are concerned with his safety. You see,  although he is one of the most "youthful" men I have ever fallen, for  Al is 86, and  has reason to be a little forgetful. He may have forgotten a few things, but one thing Al hasn't forgotten is how to treat people, with respect and love.

        Christine, and I will miss Al, and we hope he will be happy -charming all the ladies in his new home. I can tell you though, the only thing that gives us comfort, is knowing.... We will see him again.

Demetria Scott, Baltimore, MD -- SRES, ABR
Long & Foster Real Estate - Baltimore, MD
Cait -- I loved the the post!  One of the most heart-warming ones that I;ve read since joing AR!  Way to go!
Nov 17, 2007 07:46 AM
Cait ODonnell Donohue
Red Key Realty Leaders - Frontenac, MO

Matthew, we will all get to that stage...if we are lucky. The trick is to get there with style, class, and a positive attitude. Al told me that its something he works at (being positive). He said, "no one wants to be around a complainer...even if you have something to complain about."

Karen ,and Michelle, Thanks for the support. I will take your suggestions and try to implement them. Though I really  don't mind if others see your comments, I'm new  at this, and I appreciate your input.

Demetria, Thank you, you are so sweet . I write and delete most of my posts so I  appreciate the encouragement. Maybe I'll let a few more fly.

Nov 17, 2007 10:08 AM
Simon Conway
Orlando Area Real Estate Services - Orlando, FL
You see it all depends what you take from a post like this. For me, it makes me very sad that this man's only ailment is that he slightly forgetful. Why does he need to be in a home? What the heck is wrong with his kids?
Nov 17, 2007 10:19 AM
Cait ODonnell Donohue
Red Key Realty Leaders - Frontenac, MO
Simon, I understand where you are coming from, but in this case Al doesn't want to live with his family. He does want to live near them, and thats why he is moving. He will be living in his own house,in a Senior facility that has a variety of levels of care, from just light housekeeping and meals....to full time care. He will be able to paticipate in activities with other Seniors, or be by himself when he wants. His children love him and just want the best for him. This was his choice.
Nov 18, 2007 03:37 AM
Dione Beilgard
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage - Plano, TX
Plano Tx Real Estate

Cait,

This is such a moving post.  I forgot what group I was reading it in.  It looks like you have received plenty of help.

dione the home advisor

Dec 09, 2007 12:26 PM
Cait ODonnell Donohue
Red Key Realty Leaders - Frontenac, MO
Dione, Thanks, It was posted first to this group for some suggestions. Once again thank all of you for your help,and your lovely comments.
Dec 10, 2007 08:58 AM
Renee Stengel
Houlihan Lawrence, Associate Broker - Katonah, NY
Westchester County
What a warm, kind, inspiring blog this turned out to be.
Jan 29, 2008 11:19 AM
Teri Eckholm
Boardman Realty - White Bear Lake, MN
REALTOR Serving Mpls/St Paul North & East Metro
Cait--What a great story...I had a similar phone call a week before Christmas from an older gentleman who lost the love of his life after being married for over 60 years. He touched my heart too. More posts like this one...Wonderful!
Jan 29, 2008 11:24 AM
Cait ODonnell Donohue
Red Key Realty Leaders - Frontenac, MO

Renee- Why  Thank You! I just talked to Al a couple of days ago, and he is settling in nicely. His daughter comes nightly to have dinner and a chat with him...he is well loved.

Teri- As soon as I get another client that touches my heart ,I'll be sure to tell you all about it! Ha! I do tend to get attached to my clients though so it shouldn't be long! Thanks for stopping by.

Jan 29, 2008 11:55 AM
Julie Neerings~Lifting Hearts ♥ Building Dreams~
Agent Referral - Salt Lake City, UT
Cait~Oh, this story is so beautiful. You brought tears to my eyes thinking about my grandparents in relation to your story.  Great writing you have here.  
Jan 29, 2008 09:59 PM
Cait ODonnell Donohue
Red Key Realty Leaders - Frontenac, MO
Julie- Thank you, You are lucky indeed to  still have your grandparents. Give them a hug for me!
Jan 30, 2008 07:50 AM
Ginger Wilcox
Sindeo - San Francisco, CA
What an absolutely wonderful post.  I have a tendency to skim posts, but I read every word through to the end. I can't wait to read more of your work!
Jan 30, 2008 02:14 PM
Lisa Lawrie
Homelink Real Estate and Mortgage - Chico, CA
I love the post.  I'm glad you didn't delete it.  I felt like I was reading from Chicken soup for the soul. 
Feb 10, 2008 01:59 AM
Cait ODonnell Donohue
Red Key Realty Leaders - Frontenac, MO
Ginger- How sweet! I'm really into informational posts right now...but my baby is coming home to visit from college this week, so I'm likely to get sentimental really soon!
Feb 10, 2008 08:42 AM
Susan Mangigian
RE/MAX Preferred - West Chester, PA
Chester & Delaware County Homes, Delaware and Ches

Dear Cait,

This is beautiful.  I have a real soft spot for this kind of thing.  Thank you for sharing it.

Mar 11, 2008 09:16 AM
Cait ODonnell Donohue
Red Key Realty Leaders - Frontenac, MO

Susan- I have a real soft spot for Al...Can you tell? Seriously though... Thank You!

Mar 11, 2008 11:12 AM
Russ Lenich
Baird & Warner - Naperville, IL
Naperville, IL Homes
Cait, are you still looking for comments on this?  Use spell check.  Pursuit is misspelled.  I like the beating heart.  Check your punctuation for the placement of commas. Hope this helps.
Mar 11, 2008 11:40 AM
Cait ODonnell Donohue
Red Key Realty Leaders - Frontenac, MO
Russ Thanks, I posted this a while ago. You have eagle eyes...first one to notice that typing error.
Mar 11, 2008 12:39 PM
Kim Cameron, CRS
Better Homes & Gardens Preferred Properties - Town and Country, MO
Broker Salesperson, CRS

Okay, thanks Karen...Not I HAVE TEARS reading this story. We too went through a listing like this recently. The MOST delightful man. We were a referral from his son. You see, his wife had passed away and within a month, our client's memory was slipping. He was 93 years old with the spunk of a much younger man.

If we were of the same generation, you just never know. My entire team fell in love with his story telling, his zest for life and his good ole fashioned gentleman-like manners. He was a class act and a rare bird. He has passed away and we will miss him dearly.

When someone says "They just don't make them like they used to"...this applies to our client.

Aug 03, 2008 08:51 AM
Steve Mattison
Canyon de Chelly National Mo, AZ
Vietnam Veteran

Why are you practicing, you should be teaching old dogs like Al and me:)

Oct 28, 2008 09:48 AM