The first time I saw Dolly my new Boss and I were having a scrumptious meal at Regazzi's in North Miami. She naturally assumed I was her ex neighbors new paramour. Wrong ! As chance would have it I moved into the condo above hers and we became fast friends.
Not a day goes by that I do not think of something I learned from my Octogenarian friend and her dear hubby Richard. The best is the perspective she gave me on aging. It is not the end of the world !OK ..OK...now I think we can agree it is the exact opposite. ....but to some aging is death.This ex New Yorker exhibited such panache, style and most fascinating a sincere interest in the world about her. And that last bit was what I most learned from Dolly Dear. If you stay plugged into people and life you will never seem old. What style Doll has even now with her body beginning to deteriorate from Cancer. She's probably the coolest looking old broad doing chemo you ever saw. With just a bit of effort you do not have to look like an old Frump ...is that a word ?
Speaking of words if Doll had not reintroduced me to swell how lacking my vocabulary would be.Just roll that around on your tongue for a moment and see what you have been missing......and oy vay.....does that not say it all ? To you who grew up with large Jewish communities you have always had those fabulous yiddish words to choose from....but many southern gals just did not get this introduction unless we were very well traveled.
Speaking of travel,one of the most fascinating connections I ever made was because of Doll. Doll and Rich always adopted all their kids friend........never gave up an in law regardless if the family member divorced them....befriended handy men ....gardeners....writers...the list goes on and on. One of the convoluted relationships too entangled to explain was visiting from Canada. We hit it off at first site. I started telling her about my working sporadically in New York ...immediately she says you just have to meet Marty. Well I never met Marty in person but many phone calls ensued and I began to stay at his apartment ( OK closet ) in NY when he was in Toronto or Tokyo.The location was divine and it allowed me to stay in the city I adore so much longer and more often than I would have ever dreamed possible.
Primarily what I want to say about Doll is she is one of those serendipitous connections I made. I nurtured that friendship and it has blossomed. The job I went to Miami for was a dead end. I do believe I went to Miami to meet my friend Doll...........Dolly Dear thank you so much for sharing a part of your life with me.Thanks for making my life better for having known you........
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