“Do you have anything to mix with my vodka?” (Ode to my Donna)

“Do you have anything to mix with my vodka?” I asked the tall blonde on my second day at Boston University. "I have orange juice!” she said. That crazy conversation has led to a 27 year friendship (and lots of vomiting in bushes later that evening).

I just had lunch with that tall blonde-one of my dearest, oldest friends, Donna. She lives in CA now but was in town for business. We still laugh like we did when we were 18. We still finish each other's sentences. We still remember every single crazy thing we did together (the back stage passes at the Paradise, throwing up at Warren Towers, hanging out at T's Pub, discovering Lyle Lovett together as the opening act at a Rickie Lee Jones concert, the time when the Allston Fire Department showed up at our apartment for having a BBQ on the roof of our building, the trip to visit my “lovah” in NY during a snowstorm when my car broke down and lots of other things I will not, CANNOT mention here!). She knows and keeps my craziest secrets. And I keep hers.

Donna has always been my “sunshiney-est” friend. She is ALWAYS smiling, she is ALWAYS happy, she is ALWAYS positive. She is also smart as hell and tough as nails. She truly sees life as a journey. When we were younger, I used to think it had to be an act. No one can be that happy all the time! It’s not an act. Her energy is beautiful and pure.  I was more like a dark, broody hurricane in my college days and Donna was always the light in my life. My voice of reason, my devil’s advocate, the mental Xanax for my anxiety!

When we lived together in Allston above Uno’s, I got the smallest room because I signed on last to move in. It was very cold in that bright pink room and a few nights a week, I’d tell Donna I was cold and she'd always say, “Sleep in here, Rob”…Good times. Good times. We laughed all night, talking about our latest shenanigans.

Always complimentary, always pushing me to break outside the box and always, always, appreciating and loving my individuality and uniqueness. "Those shoes are sooo ROB”…

When I opened up to her a few years ago about certain life events that showed up unexpectedly, she went right on the Amazon website and sent me books that she thought would help and that helped her in a similar situation. Just a good, kind, person inside and out.

Last time she was here, she told me that I was so peaceful, different and easy to be around. And that she felt that all my recent turmoil and life experiences HAD to happen to free me. I think she’s right. I do feel F-R-E-E.

Love you and miss you, girl. Thank you for 27 wonderful, laughter-filled, tear-filled, crazy years. May the good times and laughter continue (which, of course, they will!) xxx