b'38 arDianne:De Writingoutmymemoriesofourfriendshipisakintomovingaglacierwithafeather.Itfeelsimpossibletodo.Thelossisimmeasurableinitsbreadthanddepth.Youweremyoldestandbestfriendforover47years.Iclosemyeyesandhearyourvoiceandseeyousmiling.YouareandwillalwaysbeapartofmeuntilItakemylastbreath.Whenwefirstmet,Irememberyourplaqueonthewallcelebratingthelackofspellingprowessinelementaryschool.Ididnotknowthen,butIwould(gladly)becomeyourgotoproofreaderforspellingerrors. Oneofyourmanyvirtueswasyourmaternalinstinct.Throughouttheyears,youwouldbethatbeacon,thatvoice,remindingmeitwastimeformetogetahaircut.SomehowIknewnottoignoreyourpleas,asIknewyouwouldhauntmeandthatyouwereonlylookingoutforme.Buildinguponyourspellingdisorder,IwillneverforgetthetripwetooktoamallonLongIsland.Wespentahalfanhourtryingtoexittheparkinglotandcouldnot.Youadmittedthatyouhaddifficultydistinguishingbetweenleftandright.Atfirstwejustlaughedbutquicklyitbuilttoacrescendo.Wecouldnotstoplaughingandyouevenpulledoverandparkedthecar.Everytimewelookedateachother,wewouldburstoutinhysterics.Itwasalaughterthatcamefromourcores,nojudgement,justamagneticpullthatbroughtustogetherinanintimateway.Itcannotbeconjuredup;itisrawandvolcanicinitsform.Itisararemomentofintensecommunicationandintimacy.WhenIturned40,youinvitedmetoyourhousewithsomemutualfriendsforasummerbarbecue.Igotsicktheweekbeforewithaterriblesummerheadcold.LittledidIknowthatyouconspiredwithmymotherandmyfriendstothrowmeasurpriseparty!Withoutmissingabeatandholdingitclosetoyourheart,youpatientlywaitedanentireyearandpulleditoffayearlaterat41.Downtothelastminute,Iwascompletelyinthedark.TheaccompanyingphotographisproofthatIwassurprised!Nowthatslove.In1989,youdecidedtoleaveICD.Youhadfirstbeenacolleagueandtaughtmeaboutaphasia.Thenyouweremydirector,butmostimportantly,myfriend.Youhadearnedyourdoctorateandwereheadedfornewhorizons.'