🎵 A Little Less Conversation - by Elvis Presley
This song came to mind when I started writing today's newsletter. The reason that I started singing it though was that I had the lyrics all wrong. Instead of singing "A little less conversation..." I sang "A little more conversation...". Lol. And the reason I thought of this song to begin with was after a 15 minutes mindful conversation with an older, retired woman that lives by herself.
Last week I drove up to a long time client of mine. I knocked the door and Mrs. Blanch* answered the door friendly and cheerful as ever. Her dog, Silvie*, a senior, slow walking, medium sized, sweet-as-a-button Golden Retriever mix followed her not far behind, tail gently wagging. I asked Mrs. Blanch how Silvie was doing. She answered with the usual "She's doing quite well considering her age. I still take her on long walks every single day."
I then followed up with "And how are you, Mrs. Blanch?" looking at her and a single gentle tap on her shoulder. She answered with "I'm better now." I could have left it at that, or say something like "Oh, that's good to hear", but I stopped walking towards the grooming van, Silvie on the other end of the leash in my hand... I paused and asked her "Were you sick?" She continued to talk about her brief hospital stay, how she's recovering, how lonely she feels sometimes and how she wanted to go back to work for a few hours a week to be among people and find purpose again. A simple, real caring moment turned into a wonderful conversation. Towards the end she had tears in her eyes and asked me "Can I hug you? I don't get to be around many people anymore that start a conversation with me". We hugged and I knew right there that with my small gift of time and caring I just made a huge impact on this lady's day. I made Mrs Blanch's day that day and it truly made my day as well.
Never underestimate the value of conversation. There's so many lonely people out there, particularly the elderly. Your interaction with them can literally be one of the very few highlights in their day. So I sing "🎵 A little more conversation..." Sorry Elvis 😉!
*) the name of the client and her dog have been changed for privacy reasons
With respect, admiration, and a firm belief in your worth,
Your Fellow Business Thinker & Pet Groomer:
Marilou Lekanne
Marilou’s Method & Successful Grooming
Text COACH to 310-922-0282 for your FREE 20 min introductory coaching session
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