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A special lady in every way

Ray Allegrezza, Editor in Chief -- Furniture Today, March 16, 2008

Without a doubt, this column is the hardest one I've ever written because it deals with a good friend, Leslie Fishbein of Denver-based Kacey Fine Furniture. As I write this, Leslie is fighting for her life as a result of an adverse reaction to medication she received for back pain.

But in spite of that grim reality, Leslie's unbridled zest for life has me focusing on her incredible energy and wit and her ability to laugh, to cry, to be vulnerable and to be tough as nails, sometimes all at the same time.

A few years back, Leslie and some other retailers joined Furniture/Today on a weeklong trip to Poland, where we visited factories. We spent long hours on a bus and trust me, there is no better way to really get to know someone — even better than you think you know them — than by spending large blocks of down time together.

We talked about anything and everything — our childhoods, college, family experiences. Nothing was off limits. There was only one rule: "What we say in Poland, stays in Poland."

We laughed together, often finding ourselves punch-drunk from hours on the bus. We also cried together, especially the day we visited Auschwitz.

In the factories, Leslie was all retailer. In an amazingly brief time, she could look at the furniture, lean over and tell me what would work, what wouldn't and why.

On the final night of our visit, one of the factories hosted a farewell dinner for our group. The evening culminated with a special dessert for Leslie that featured a mixture of ice cream, sherbet and sparklers.

The special lady got the special dessert that night. Like most people who met her, our hosts immediately knew who the real firecracker in the group was.

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A special lady in every way

Mar 16, 2008

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