"Lexus" Laureen Quick

 “There’s a seat for every seat,” said Jason the Finance Guy, “My Aunt Cheryl loves her Prius, my mom likes Jeeps. Some like European cars; some like Japanese cars. 

“When people pick out what they want to drive,” he continued, “they’re already seeing themselves in it. They already have some mental ownership.”

“Sometimes people like the look the looks of Jeeps, but want something comfortable,” Jason said, making his hands look like they’re weighing something out.

I was sort of hoping Laureen would pick the Hummer to test out, since I’d never been in one before.

“They’re a little bit trucky,” Jason advised, “but they have these really poofy leather seats. They still ride solid like a truck, but…”

I wondered aloud if I could influence Laureen to drive the Hummer through subliminal messages, or perhaps the usage of micro-expressions.

That made Jason laugh. I actually made Jason laugh.

“If,” he concluded, “she says she’s always wanted something sporty, with a manual transmission, take her out in a Honda SI, or that little Audi convertible that’s like a Miata on steroids. That car’s fun, and really fast. But, if she likes four-wheel drives, take her for a ride in either the Hummer, or one of our trucks, like that blue F-150 out there.”

I’d only met Laureen once, and the first thing I noticed was her enviable hair. We’d both kept staring that day, having been “e-friends” on Facebook and recognizing each other. As the warm-hearted person Laureen is, she’d given me a hug on sight. She did the same this time.

Then, she chose to drive the ’07 gray Lexus All-Wheel-Drive RX.

And that was okay. It helped me to better understand her, since this was a get-to-know-you/ get-to-know-our-car type test drive. Laureen said she’d owned a Lexus previously, and would like to have one again.

It was a cold, rainy day, and we both quickly turned the heat up and the seat warmers on high. 

 As Laureen drove, she shared who she was, where she wanted to go in life, and I immediately felt an affinity. 

Eight years ago, her husband was involved in a car accident, which left him virtually unscathed. While walking away from the vehicle, he fell, hit his head, and things got complicated from there.

“He went into a coma, on life support,” Laureen shared, “and then passed away ten days later.”

Laureen and her husband had daughters, and she got help from friends and family to continue raising them for the past near-decade.

But only months after the passing of her spouse, the recession hit hard, and their downtown Boise business began struggling and continued to do so for a few more years, until its doors closed. 

It was a turning point for Laureen, having been hit from so many sides, including emotionally and financially. She decided to spend her time helping others through encouragement and consulting, putting in countless hours of research and study. She later added JuicePlus™ products and the aeroponic Tower Gardens into the mix, making the way she helps others both internal and external. 

I looked over at this woman as we rode along in the Lexus, marveling at what she’d been through, and how she’s using that now as her motivation to help others. She lost her business, but is helping countless people to save and grow theirs. She’s also deeply impacting lives by assisting others in restoring their health. 

The two of us rolled down the road in the smooth-riding, quiet Lexus as the wipers cleared the rain-dotted windshield and we luxuriated in the individualized climate control. Unbidden, I heard Jason’s words again, “a seat for every seat”, and thought about how Laureen continued to help, giving people a place to go during difficult times, or periods of health crisis, putting out ripples of positivity, regardless of what she’s been through.

“Yep,” I mused, “and there’s a helping hand for every heart.”