b'DIANNEfromGailGoldman 133Dianneisoneofmyclosestfriends.Alwayshasbeenandalwayswillbe.IveknownDiannemyentirelife,literally.Thatsbecausewererelatedandourfamiliesspentatremendousamountoftimetogetherwhileweweregrowingup.Asayounggirlandteen,IregardedDianneasthebigsisterIhadalwayswanted.Fouryearsolderthanme,Ilistenedandwatchedasshenavigatedcollege,family,dating,andlifeingeneral.OnceIwasincollege,ourrelationshipevolvedintoaspecialandlifelongfriendship.Infact,fromthatpointforward,IintroducedherasmyfriendDianne,notmycousinDianne.Consistentlythroughoutourlives,wevesharedgreatjoyandcelebration,sadnessandtragedy.Wevealwaysbeenthereforeachother,laughingandcryingwithunbridledhonestyanddeepaffection.Oneofthehighlightsofourfriendshipwasourthree-weektriptoItalyintheearly1980s.IhadjustmovedtoDenverfromWashington,D.C.,havingspentcountlessweekendsvisitingherinNewYorkCity.WehadnofixeditineraryforourtimeinItaly,decidingeachdaywherewewantedtogoandwherewewouldstay,fromurbancenterstotheruralcountryside.Itwasanextraordinarytrip.Althougheachofuslatermarriedamanwecherishedandadored,wealwaysreiteratedtoeachotherandanyoneelsewhowouldlistenthatourtimetogetherinItalywasthemostromantictripeitherofushadevertaken.AperfectrepresentationofourrelationshipwasthetimewefoundourselvesstuckonanarrowmountainpassneartheAmalficoast.IwasdrivingatthetimeandDiannewasstudyingtheguidebookandmap,tryingtogetustoahotelwedreadaboutinaformerconvent.Wewerecompletelylostandabsolutelypetrified.Iwastooparalyzedtostaybehindthewheel,soDiannetookover.Igotoutofthecarandguidedherinchbyinchfromtheroad.Slowlybutsurelyandcompletelyinsyncwemanagedtoturnthecararound.Thatexperiencereinforcedwhatwealreadyknewandfeltforeachotherthatthedepthofourloveandfriendshipwaspowerful,thatwewerealwaysandforeverthereforeachother,andthattherewasnothingwecouldntovercomewhenwetackledittogether.Fromfeartodeterminationtorelieftoexhilarationweshareditall.Diannehelpedmakemewhole.IknowImabetterpersonforhavingherinmylife.Herdeathdoesntchangethatbecausesheisandalwayswillbeapartofme.Iloveyou,Dianne.'