“Making lemonade out of lemons”
Filed under: Stories |
From Amy
I first met Pat in 1991, the year our local Detroit Lhasa Apso Club hosted the National Specialty. It was a big event and our Club had rented several floors, the ballroom, and an outside exercise area for the dogs at a local Hilton Hotel for the event.
The first night, there was a terrible thunderstorm. The high winds picked up a canopy I had lent the club and wrapped it around Pat’s new minivan.
The next day, hotel security approached me during the show and inquired if I owned a silver canopy. He asked me to accompany him to the room of a guest who sustained property damage from it. He knocked on the door and I saw Pat’s lovely face for the first time.
I apologized for the fiasco, told her we had insurance to cover what occured, and that we would see that she was properly compensated for the damage to her car.
As I spoke, Pat’s already lovely facial features melted into a soft and open expression. Before all the words were out of my mouth, she was embracing me and consoling me that everything was ok. Her forgiveness was never requested; it was pro-offered and spontaneous.
Pat and I were friends ever since.
For years later, we enjoyed telling people that we met when my property did $2000 damage to her car. Who would have thought a friendship would be spawned from such an event! But that was Pat! She made a lemon of a situation into lemonade.
I miss her terribly, her lovely attitude and her lovely dogs. I can hardly wait to see her again.
Thank you so much for sharing your story, Amy.
We had two of Pat’s dogs, the second one still with us, Angus at age 13. Pat was just what we needed…and so were her dogs. We stayed in touch from 1994 with letters and phone calls. We thought Pat a wonder and a great spirit. What happened to all her dogs? We now live in Michigan.
Hi, Julie. Thank you for sharing those kind words. I’m so glad that Angus is still a companion to you and Bill.
Mom’s dogs were all adopted by loving families, and the legacy of her work breeding Lhasas for their kind demeanor continues through all of lines of dogs that inherit those traits.
I hope that you shall continue to remember my Mom kindly over the years.