Thats Edmonton Information About Edmonton, Alberta

A December to Remember

I don't post a lot of personal stuff on our blog, or even very much daily business stuff, but we have had a lot going on over the past few months that I think we should share. Every year around December Sara and I spend a good deal of time on business planning. We look at the market conditions, what the market did in the year previous and try to reason out what we think might happen in the coming months and years. No we are not economists (if you read this blog you know why I had to say that). It just so happens we are and have been very good at predicting the number of sales overall. Fluctuations in price and sales numbers by types is a different story but we are working on that.

For the most part 2011 was a very good year. Our company grew adding a couple of really good experienced agents, and a couple of rookies while maintaining our strongest existing team members. We cut some dead weight including a couple of developers and builders who didn't fit our service and ethical standards. For one builder the straw that broke my back was a leaky fridge: during the inspection a leak was discovered, the builder told us it was repaired but when the single mom who bought the unit moved in it was still leaking. When we discussed this with the builder they told us "too bad it’s the buyer's problem now". I felt badly for the buyer's agent because they were relying on our word and reputation that the fridge was fixed when it wasn't, so they took it on the chin from their clients. Anyway, we offered to take care of the problem and then terminated all 24 listings we had with the builder. Probably not the smartest business move but when someone lies about a $250 fix the potential for bigger issues to damage our reputation with our other clients and other agents was serious enough to give them the boot. In any case that's the way it goes in business right? You win some and you lose some.

Other than that the year was uneventful until we found out we were pregnant. I say "we" metephorically for those of you who will point out that men can't get pregnant. In short order we found out we were having not one, but two. Ironically this news was delivered the same day my daughter entered her first day of high school. Needless to say it took me a few weeks to wrap my head around it all and just as we moved from acceptance to excitement we got some really bad news.

Sara's dad passed away suddenly at the beginning of December. John Maclennan was a former high school teacher, farmer, coach, hall of fame quarter back at McMaster University, conservationist and volunteer extraordinaire. At 74 John was in excellent shape, ate very well, and biked regularly. The week before John passed away my dad was taken to the Grey Nuns Cardiac care unit (to whom I must give koodoos to for excellent service and the care they gave my dad). He was in four 4 days while they deliberated the issues and the potential remedies.

So when news came about Sara's dad we were both in shock. The rest of the month was a whirlwind of travel back and forth to Ontario. The passing of John reminded me once again that life is so very precious, and it taught me a whole lot more than that. While I interceded the many phone calls that came to Sara's mom expressing their condolences, a message stuck with me because it was a recurring one: "You don't know me, and John probably wouldn't remember me, but he taught me at Nelson High School and I just wanted to say he had a profound impact on my life."
It just reaffirmed to me that we can make a positive impact on young people and strangers by the way we conduct ourselves and live our lives.

John's funeral was attended by politicians and business people from around Hamilton, farmers, teachers, neighbours and family. His friend who conducted the service told me there were over 500 people in attendance at the church service which was standing room only. There was an open mic session where former students and co-workers, neighbours, friends and family shared their favourite memories of John. Many of the students he used to have out to his farm to do "conditioning work" found that time they spent at the farm, and the time he gave to them was life altering, and many followed in his footsteps citing him as their inspiration.  Many people proudly displayed the official "license to hug" John had issued them and I myself am a converted "hugger" thanks to John. I found I had never laughed and cried so much in one day. On the night of the funeral I flew back to Edmonton and those on the plane around me must of thought I was nuts as I would recall something someone had said about John and either laugh, or well up with tears.

I share this because we realize we haven't been as attentive to the blog for the last while as we normally are, but we have tried our best and we appreciate the support and willingness of people to share their thoughts and views. We are into the new year now and are about 3 months away from welcoming two new additions to our family. So if I can leave you with one thought its this: you can make a difference in someone's life with a smile, a hug, your support, or your time, and most of all by just listening. I can't help but think if I and others were more like John the world would be a better place.

John Alexander MacLennan
December 18, 1937- December 3, 2011

John MacLennan paddling the North Saskatchewan last summer,
and 50 years earlier in the same McMaster Football Jersey.

p.s. John received many awards including being inducted into McMaster University's sports hall of fame, and coaching Nelson high school to numerous provincial basketball championships. John loved teaching and he loved McMaster University where this summer he toured my daughter and I hoping that she might one day consider going there. He loved teaching so much he dedicated his body to McMaster's medial research program to help train tomorrow's doctors. As a farmer and a teacher John was "outstanding in his field."