Albert and Karen, better picture

Ok, I knew I could find another picture of Albert and Karen! This is their professional picture as realtors for Keller Williams Real Estate.

I have to tell you a little story about Albert and in so doing, it will be telling you a little about the kind of people who I like to attract to me, and who will be sharing their stories with you in this blog.

I became a realtor about the same time Albert did, and this is how we met. Time rolls around for Alberts' first annual Keller Williams Appreciation party for his clients, and I, of course, show up to help. I am the greeter at the door along with Tom White. This is a job I am really good at. I just love meeting people.

(for a little aside here to all you mothers, before the party began Albert got us, his helper friends, together and started assigning jobs like cleaning house. I told Albert, "honey, I ain't yo momma. You made that mess, you clean it up. For that matter, I wouldn't even clean up my own kids messes and you can call and ask them!" ;-) Thought all you Mama's out there would get a kick out of that.)

Back to the party. In comes everyone Albert knows, whether they have bought a home from him or not. (And this is before he has met Karen.) One by one, I meet all his friends through the years....through the University of Texas as students, through working for Dell, through working for a Austin based computer start up that crashed and burned, through running, neighbors and new clients. They are a wide variety of people. Some are fit and in shape, athletic like Albert, some are dumpy and plumpy. (I was in shape back then.) Some are rich, some are poor. Some are single, some are married. Some have kids, and bring them, most do not. Men, women, straight, gay. Young, old, multi degreed, no degreed. People from a variety of countries, with a variety of skin shading and an even greater variety of religious back grounds. But they all have one thing in common. They are all really good people.

By nights' close, after I have talked to pretty much all of them, felt their handshake, looked them in the eye, and observed them intermingle with one another, I know this about all of Alberts' friends: ALL of Alberts' are the kind of people who would be with you through good times and bad and who you would WANT with you during those times. How rare is that? Can you say that about all your friends? If you had a party for publicity, which is what this was, and you invited, oh say the 80-100 people Albert invited to this, his first realtor party, could you say that? I hope I can. I try to every day, collect, attract people to me who are exactly like that.

What a wonderful living legacy Albert has...to be always surrounded by people who not only will be there with you through good and bad but who you will want with you during those times. And all of Alberts' friends know this about one another. When Albert found Karen, I realized immediately when I first met her, she is exactly like that as well. No matter what financial wealth he and Karen will accrue in their lifetimes, nothing will compare to the wealth of true friendship they have surrounded themselves with.

And now back to my blog. All of the people I will bring to you in my blog, including Albert, are exactly like that. They are sincere. They don't want you to hurt like they did, or be sick like they were. They don't' even know you. But they know you are going through a hard time with whatever illness/pain you have, they want to be there for you, with their story.