There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship. -St. Thomas Aquinas

Day 11 of 365

The day I met her, my first day at a new job, was the same day her divorce was final. She was a bit of a hot mess, and I couldn’t help myself. I peeked my head in the office of a total stranger to see if she was okay. Clearly, she was not. I’m not sure in the 20+ years that have passed since then if have ever seen her cry again. She’s such a strong and steady person.

People like Donna are hard to find. She makes me smile, she wants the best for me, she’d let me move into her extra bedroom if I showed up at 4am, with no questions asked. Have you ever heard “a good friend will help you move, but only the best of friends will help you move a dead body?” HA HA!! I love her too much to drag her into criminal activity…but you get where I’m going with this. She’s a keeper.

What makes Donna really stand out is that she is so utterly selfless. She is the person I know who most closely resembles the version of love Mother Teresa explained when she shared this famous quote.

“Love, to be real, must empty us of self.” –Mother Teresa

Also, Donna is like the 007 of my friends. She’s the person least likely to have her identity stolen. She prides herself on having NO photos of herself on the internet. I speak of her often, but she’s largely unknown by most. She lurks in the background, though, where she lovingly cares for her elderly Dad, and spends herself in service to any friend who needs her near. She’s delivered Thanksgiving baskets with me, scooped my driveway free of snow when my knee was too swollen to do the task myself, she’s delivered meds from CVS straight to my bedroom post-surgery. She’s helped me out of binds I’d rather not admit to being in over the years, candidly. Also, you’ll note while I have chosen to honor her today on her birthday, I’ve given you zero idea of the year in which she was born. That would be identifying information, you see, and I’m pretty sure that would be a severe offense in her book.

Is she an imaginary friend? Does she really even exist? I half think she’d like you to wonder. She may be the “James Bond” of my friend group, but YOU BET she does exist. She’s the owner of the most beautiful heart who always makes sure I know she’s nearby and that she cares.

I love you, Donna. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!