Solutioning
There are solutions for almost everything. It depends on how you look at things. It also depends on what you call “solutions”. Are you a problem-solver of small problems?
Last week, my 87-year-old mother got her laundry back from the cleaners. She glanced at the green slip that has emoji-like faces on it, describing how clean your clothes became. And sighed. Because the face looking at her had an upside-down smile. Uh-oh, that meant the cleaners couldn’t get the stain off her best coat – the stain that glared at you from above the chest pocket. There was no avoiding seeing it.
Distinctly unfazed by this, she resumed her day’s busy-ness. After some grumbling about the state of cleaning services these days, which launched another spate of words regarding the state of the world, off she marched, mumbling – “Watch, I’ll fix this myself. Who needs cleaners?”. This being her favourite coat, she was not going to take this as defeat. No doubt it’s a lovely coat – beige suede, with brown trim, furry lapel, nice length – very Chanel-esque. It had brought her lots of compliments over the years.
Her coat was precious to her because it had been a gift, 10 years ago, from her daughter-in-law. Warm, classy and comfortable, it did just the job on cold winter days. If you knew my mother, you’d know that she would be reluctant to buy a new winter coat “at her age”, as she puts it. Especially since said coat was perfectly workable and had been a loyal companion on many a wintry day.
Two days later, preparing to go to church, she appeared, like Cinderella, poised to descend the stairs, wearing the offending coat, in all its refined splendour, nary a stain in sight.
You see, she had embroidered a cute little rose over where the stain resided.
“They don’t make things the way they used to”, she chirruped, merrily, “This coat has been a good friend, so why dump it? Why spend $400 on a new one that will probably rip in two months?”.
Lessons:
- Friends don’t desert friends.
- Solutions are often simple.
- Everyone can be creative when they put their minds to it.
Now my mother owns a beautiful, good-as-new, warm, fuzzy winter coat, beige with brown trim and fuzzy lapels,
And an embroidered rose on the front…. where the stain still resides, invisibly.
Email me: bernadette@gogettercoaching.com .