A Pink Lady For The Ladies

Sometimes in life, if you're really lucky, someone wonderful steps in to fill a void. Twila was one of my mom's closest friends. They met for lunch, regularly -- one time, both coincidentally adorned in shocking hot pink outfits. When the waiter asked if they'd like to order a Pink Lady, they got hysterical, and who could blame them?

Lunching with Twila

When Mom went off to the Big Beauty Shop in the sky, nineteen years ago, Twila, political junkie, Dodgers fan, opera lover, real estate maven, personal adviser, became that special someone for my brother and me. We celebrated our birthdays and other important milestones. She was there for the Bar Mitzvahs and Father's Day brunches at John's and all of his Halloween extravaganzas. And no matter what was going on, when we asked how she was feeling, she always said the same thing: "Terrific." Two years ago, when we celebrated her 90th, I asked her, "What's the secret of getting older?" Without missing a beat, Twila said, "Lie." She passed away yesterday at 92. What a truly terrific life, full of adventure, romance, reinvention and above all, love. Here's hoping she's sitting next to Mom, sipping a Pink Lady and playing bridge. I can almost hear them laughing.