I met Laura in Georgetown. She made us a reservation at her favorite Italian restaurant, Filomena, a D.C. establishment not to miss. I thought I’d have no trouble finding her. All I had was a picture, but with blue eyes like hers I knew that I could ID her in a sea of a million. I’m glad I was right. As I walked down the stairs the lights grew dimmer and the restaurant more crowded. Every inch of the space was filled with ornaments and trinkets: on the ceilings, on the wall, on every surface; but all of that glitz couldn’t drown her out.
I knew that I was about to meet a force. It takes audacity to volunteer to raise the amount of money she wanted to for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Her goal was to come as close as possible to funding a research grant, which meant raising $50K in ten weeks. Above conviction, it takes a team to do that kind of good, and the society arranged for us to meet to start a mentor partnership. I had funded a grant two years prior and I understood the fire and grit it takes. Even before we met, I knew that I was about to meet a very good friend.
Only I didn’t fathom how good. She had the wine ready before I sat. Then she began, “I had cancer at 26.” I thought I had met my twin. I’m glad I held in my urge to blurt me too because that’s where our commonality ceased. She continued, “That was the third time.” I don’t remember what came next. I was too busy in my mind with an impossible vision. The loss of hair, the fevers, the tingling of chemo pumping into her veins at three different stages of life all before 26. Life through that lens seems cruel and menacing, but Laura was a breath of fresh air, vibrant, and full of life. Her experiences led her to a career as a Physician Assistant and a life focused on helping others and giving back.
The last time I saw Laura was at a rally. We were standing at the bar shoulder-to-shoulder anticipating the night’s speech. It was always a tale of overcoming; there was the daughter that dropped everything to help her ailing father; the child who survived an experimental treatment; the wife who lost her college sweetheart. At the end, there was never a dry eye in the house. It was meant to demonstrate the real-time impact of the society. Now whenever I struggle with Laura’s loss, I think of our final exchange. I was mulling over the possibilities of who was giving the speech, when she leaned in close and whispered, “It’s me.” That was it. She was off and barreling towards the stage. She grabbed the microphone and told a familiar story. It was the one from our first meeting. Got knocked down three times, and stood up four.
The Laura 14K Gold London Blue Topaz Open Ring
I designed Laura’s ring with this story in mind. Her blue eyes are unmistakeable and signified by the London Blue Topaz gemstones. The open concept 14k gold band represents how she approached life, with open arms, despite hardships that tend to close people off.