“You only get one chance to make a good first impression.”

A short time ago, I had an opportunity to see that adage come to life right before my eyes.

Recently, I met a young lady in her late 20s and I got to know her in a short time span of about four days. She is a wonderful young woman with a beautiful smile and personality to match. She is friendly, very well mannered, she has a professional career, and is looking to better herself in it, and she’s owned her own home since she was 25 years old. She is pleasant, outgoing and appears to be focused when she needs to be, and a bit laid back when she needs to be. She also appeared to be a down to earth young lady who has her priorities in order, and her conversation showed us that she puts concern for others, ahead of her even when things might not be going well for her. She spoke very highly of her parents and her brother, of her upbringing and how her parents influenced her, supported her and guided her. Family is definitely important to her.

As she spoke to us, again having just met us, she thanked us for raising our son the way we did. Her parents are to be congratulated for raising her the way they did, as through our son, and her questions of us, she conveyed assurance to us we’d have her respect for any home traditions and/or beliefs we may have had. (She was traveling from Virginia with our son to attend a wedding with him on a quick trip “back home” and was to spend time with us in our home.) We tried to verbally return our respect to her for her traditions and beliefs.

During the visit we had a little reception for friends and family to drop by and say hi to our son, as he doesn’t get home as much as he’d like because of his career, and this visit was going to be for less than a week and it would’ve been hard for him to get around to see everyone, so Sally and I threw this small soiree to save our son some time and gas and still be able to see family and friends. Those who attended also got to meet the same young lady Sally and I were delighted to have met a bit earlier. Many of those family and friends saw, and felt, the same about her as we did in our first meeting.

We were so pleased to have this young woman in our home and were so excited that everyone else who met her had the same feelings about her. We made a new young friend that weekend.

As wonderful as it was to be around her, the weekend wasn’t all as rosy as we (and as things turned out, especially she, I’m sure) would have loved it to be. Unfortunately, this young lady, whom we came to know and care for, had an accident. She suffered a fall which left her with some facial fractures, a lip requiring stitches, some body bruises and an 18-hour span spent in two hospitals, seeing a number of medical professionals, assistants, lab and diagnostic technicians and ambulance personnel. Her wounds would require surgery, though after many tests, x-rays, and consultations it was deemed that she could safely return to Virginia where her parents also resided, and have the surgery there, so as to have any follow ups necessary done by the performing surgeons, allowing them to prescribe whatever rehabilitation and therapy might be necessary and further allowing the medical personnel to monitor that as well, all the while being close to her parents, who could be there for her and be a part of her healing process.

During all the tests, the sewing of the corner of her mouth, the x-rays, and any pain she may have been having, this young woman was more concerned about Sally and me, and our spending so much time at both hospitals during the day and a half ordeal which, again, was just a freak accident and no one’s fault. She was also very worried about our son, who refused to leave her side through all 18 hours, going so far as to apologize to him and us for “doing this,” never accepting our comeback that this was certainly an accident and there was no blame to be had by anyone. Through it all though, amid all the chaos and her swells, bruises, aches and pains, she tried to reassure to us that though it looked bad, and she felt bad, she knew it could have been worse and she was grateful that it wasn’t.

After the tests were done and the doctors consulted, she was given her release and told she could make the trip back to Virginia and begin the healing. Saddened that our time with our son and her was cut even shorter than their trip was originally going to be, we stood in a hospital parking lot in Erie, teary eyed, saying good-bye to him and this wonderful, vibrant, young lady whom he introduced to us just four days prior. As she left, she asked us for a hug and thanked us for a wonderful time spent in our home, and thanked us, once again, for raising our son the way we did, not really knowing what we did, just knowing it happened to work. And, while thinking she’d never want to set foot in New York, and specifically, our home again, she assured us that she’d be back and she would see us again.

And now, fast-forwarding, she is back in Virginia, close to family, close friends, familiar doctors and familiar medical facilities. Her profession may allow her to work from home for a while if she can’t get “to the office,” and she looks forward to putting this ordeal behind her and moving forward to her next goal, determined to “take ’em, one at a time.”

In a four-day span, through smiles, tears, moans, fears, some blood, some bruises, some swelling, a lot of courage, so much positivity, and Sally’s and my gratefulness for having the opportunity to meet this young woman, I witnessed the adage, “You only get one chance to make a good first impression,” lived out in the presence of this young lady with whom we shared our home. She not only proved it to be true, she etched it in gold as she used her one time to make a tremendous impression on Sally and me. And to this young lady who was so complementary to both of us for how we raised our children, I send it right back to her parents for raising her, and I am sure her brother, the way they did. To them I say, it was an honor, a privilege, but most of all, a pleasure spending those four days with your daughter.

I look forward to the day our paths cross again.