A Pat on the back and a Buddy on the side with a sprinkle of Carol in between

A Pat on the back and a Buddy by your side with a Sprinkle of Carol in-between
 

       SUDS Domestic Services cannot say enough wonderful things about the great customers who come into our lives. We appreciate and love every single one of you. We thank you for using and believing in what 

we

offer and value when you tell others of the services you have received. Suds Domestic Services will continue to provide excellent and exceptional work. It is because of our great customers we have an outstanding staff who will always go above and beyond the task that is given. We would like to take a moment and introduce you to three people who have the client/staff relationship that makes it a dream to be welcomed into your homes.

Buddy and his wife Pat are two of our most beloved customers. I met Buddy 4 years ago when he personally wanted to interview the owner of the cleaning company who was going to clean his home. When I pulled up to his cabin-like wood house, Buddy and his four-legged companion, Sammie, greeted me. I was lucky to meet two great characters. I instantly felt a bond with Buddy because of his great zest for life. He was one of the oldest living liver transplant patients in the country who was not on immunosuppressant and coincidentally his home is one of the oldest houses in Miami-Dade County built in 1909 without any nails. I knew at that moment I wanted him as a client, and I got him!

His wife, Pat, was an added bonus and Buddy’s blessing in disguise. A woman of a few words who was the rock and stability in the relationship by making sure everything was in its place. She was the love of his life, the woman of his dreams, and the one in the background who took care of everything.

Their love story was one for the romance books. They were married on Halloween – a treat more than a trick. It was their favorite time of the year, and they would spare no expense in decorating the home with all things Halloween including a Bride 

and Groom of Frankenstein. It was true and pure unconditional love you are lucky to experience at least once in your lifetime.

Last year, Buddy was experiencing additional difficulty with his health due to a car accident. He needed several operations. We spoke about my ideas of writing a blog and featuring him as my ‘customer of the month’. We talked about using me to tell his life story to the world. It will be our version of Tuesdays with Morrie.

The last time I saw my friend was when he was on his way to the doctor. He said he was not feeling well be he still looked handsome as ever, with his Fedora, jacket, and cane, getting into the waiting cab. My ‘Tuesdays with Buddy’ would have to wait until he got better. We both could not wait to begin videotaping and to memorialize his story.

During his stay at the hospital, I spoke to Pat a couple of times and she informed me Buddy took a turn for the worse but he was destined to come home. When he finally came home, I could not wait to see my friend. I was clueless in what to bring him (flowers, food, edible arrangements?). I was 5 minutes away when I decided to call Pat and find out what to bring. She told me Buddy  passed away that morning.

I never got the chance to share his amazing story the way we had planned. People will not have the opportunity to meet an amazing, interesting, and great person like Buddy who forever impacted my life and the lives of my loved ones including Carol Lemonius.

Carol is not just an employee but also an extended member of my family as well as Buddy and Pat’s. Carol is the type of person many clients wish they could clone and is often described as a soft-spoken woman who is pretty on the outside and just as beautiful on the inside. She is known as the kind of person who adds value to one’s life.

Buddy and Pat trusted Carol wholeheartedly. She became the family member who maintained a healthy environment in their home. When Carol became pregnant with her second child, the roles reversed a bit for Buddy and Carol. He began putting her needs in front of the house tasks. He made sure she ate well to keep up strength so she can continue her duties. He would prepare her favorite lunch (shrimp) and made it clear to her she needed to sit and eat. She was

grateful for the love, kindness, and generosity Buddy and Pat displayed to her over the years.

Recently, we learned Pat has put up their enchanted home for sale. She is set to begin the next phase of her life. She takes with her the wonderful memories she and Buddy have shared. None of us could have ever imagined the impact we played in each other’s life when an ad was answered to clean a house.