A Difficult Day
Hi Jean,
Just wanted to say Hi, and acknowledge that which I am sure was your most difficult day in real estate. Sometimes it is easier when we know we made a mistake than when people hurt us, and damage our confidence for no reason. Guess one could say that it won’t be the last time, and while that may true, it is a bit like kicking someone when they are down. One way to measure potential for future success, is to gauge the ability to jump back up and move forward. I promise you the rewards will far out weigh the disappointments. You have all the tools, personality and skills necessary to be successful, but no one really knows about the reactions to disappointment until faced with it. If my 39 years experience counts for anything, my money would be bet on YOU. See you tomorrow, and thank you for the opportunity to work with such a special person,
Michael
Such is the email I received from one of our brokers, Michael Monozon, on a day early in my real estate career when a transaction fell apart for the first time and I was feeling down. The email had the subject heading “Difficult Day”, and the email itself just captured so much of what Michael was to me and countless other agents. He was always cheering us on, encouraging us to persevere, and reminding us to value ourselves and what we had to offer our clients.
Michael passed away on August 8th due to lung cancer, and the day I heard the news was by far an even more “difficult day” than the one referenced above. As many will testify, Michael was a unique individual who had a passion for real estate and an even greater sense of love for people around him. Despite his busy schedule, he always made himself available to us, and he challenged us to improve ourselves so we could be of better service to others. Because of Michael, I learned to value traditional ideas, such as “farming” my neighborhood, as well as the latest and greatest, like twitter or blogging. He helped me with time management and went out of his way to make sure that I kept my family a priority in a business that often makes you feel like you need to work 24-7 just to keep up.
There’s so much to say about Michael that would not fit into a blog, nor could words ever do justice to how special he was. Even this blog is a result of his foresight and drive to make sure that our office and our agents would be at the leading edge of our field. His presence is sorely missed, and each time I walk by his office, there is such a deep sense of loss and emptiness. When I’m having a long day or when I have something exciting to share, it hurts again to know that I can’t just sit and email him with the assurance that he’ll respond no matter how busy he is or how silly my thoughts may be. Thank you, Michael, for your care and commitment to me, to all of us at Prudential San Bruno. I miss you very much and will strive to honor your memory by always serving my clients with professionalism, caring and integrity.
If you were privileged to know Michael Monozon, please visit the guestbook to share your thoughts & memories. This will be printed into a book for the Monozon family: http://budurl.com/mmlegacy
If you would like to make a donation to the American Cancer Society in honor of Michael, please support our Relay for Life team by going to: http://budurl.com/teammonozon
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9 Responses to “A Difficult Day”
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Jean, that is exactly why people loved Michael so much! Can you say “unconditional love”? He made everyone feel special. Sometimes he made me feel like I could do no wrong in his eyes! Wow! What a great feeling, huh?
My mother told me something the other day that helps a little. She said “We lose people in life, but their essence, purpose, and effect on others, lives.” This will be especially true in our case.
Jean your blog has touched my heart. Thank you for sharing it.
Jamie
Jean, I thank you for writing this blog. I still can’t believe Michael is not with us. Every time I walk by his office and see his long black winter coat hanging behind the door, it just makes me so sad, I want to cry. I’m lucky I had the chance to meet him and learn so many things from him.
Michael, I miss you!
Jean, thanks for sharing your story and writing the blog about Michael! He has made such a great impact on each and every one of us. It makes me really sad to think that he’s no long with us; on the other hand, his values, philosophy, and spirit will be everlasting.
Jean,
Thank you for taking time to put your thoughts into beautiful words.
His thoughts, wisdom, and they way he touched us all is a wonderful legacy.
Brian
Jean,
All of us who had the opportunity to know Michael understand what a wonderful person he was. We can all reflect on the things he taught us, the outlooks that he provided and live to those standards. Over the years that I knew Michael, I many times found myself, and still find myself asking “What would Michael do?” Michael would want us all to cherish the memories and to live our lives to the fullest.
Larry
Thank you for sharing your thoughts about Michael. I think I’m still sort of in denial…I keep thinking that he will show up at the farming meeting and joke around with Pat and the rest of us, while at the same time quietly encouraging us to press on and be productive. Michael’s loss is heartbreaking to anyone who knew him.
Thanks for sharing Jean,
As many have mentioned this is a great example of how thoughtful and special Michal was and how he cared so much about each and every person he met, especially the ones he worked with. From the moment when I first met him we had a connection as I’m sure he had the same effect on others.
As Larry mentioned I also constantly ask myself, “what would Michael do?” He lives on in all of us and with his teachings all of us will continue to honor him. Thinking of him and all of his hard work and effort motivates me to keep going and to always do my best. I know he would be proud of all of us and I will do my best to personally continue to do so. Thanks again for sharing,
Adam
Hi Jean,
It was great seeing you last Friday at Michael’s “Celebration of Life”. It was so cool to see his e-mail response to you. Typical Michael! He was so in tune with everyone and everything around him. A special man who had a profound impact on evryone he touched. Thank you for sharing with us and how beautifully written.
Jonathan