Maddie
While I was working at a small beauty salon in my home town of Amherstburg, Ontario, I had many clients. One woman, Madelyn (aka-Maddie), became my most loyal client. She was elegant and had a commanding presence in any room she walked into. While Madelyn was very kind and generous to me, many of my coworkers were intimidated by her, almost afraid at times. One of the reasons she was so special to me is that she was very discerning in who she let into her inner circle, and she chose me as one of the select few.
She came to me weekly for a manicure. Always choosing a soft pink color as she considered it to be timeless and beautiful. She always looked her very best, even if coming straight from the tennis court. She was a former dance teacher, even owning her own studio. Her husband Arthur was a man of influence as a lawyer. I knew that this family had power in the community. They were very generous in their Jewish community, often fundraising to support those in need. They were passionate about bringing awareness to the causes most important to them, especially research for the MS society. Their daughter suffers from this awful illness and they would do just about anything for her and their other children.
As time went on, our relationship changed from esthetician/client to that of a close friendship. Madelyn could tell that I was quietly struggling to find happiness. I didn’t have a boyfriend, had never really travelled and was living a rather sheltered life in my small town. Don’t get me wrong, I had a good life but I wasn’t truly living it to my full potential and she could see that. She was always encouraging me to dream bigger and even went so far as to convince me to get a passport. My reply to her about this was often, “Why do I need a passport, I don’t go anywhere!” to which she would reply, “That’s exactly the point. You never know when you’ll need it!”. She had travelled the globe and I knew in my heart she was right but I didn't dare dream that big.
I will forever be grateful to her for encouraging me to dream big, be open for anything and be ready to say Yes!