We met William many years ago. Jamie and I were dating at the time. That's at least five hundred years ago or twenty-five in human years (inside joke with Jamie via Tony Soprano). He was a customer of Jamie's in the wholesale food business. Do you know how sometimes you meet people in a professional capacity and the business and personal lines blur and a friendship blossoms, grows and thrives? It happens rarely. And when it does, you count your blessings.
William is that gift. He started out as Jamie's friend and as the years have passed, I have become as close a personal friend with William as Jamie is. I have become great friends with his wife, Rosa, one of the most elegant, beautiful and kind women I have ever met. Just take a look. She's GORGEOUS.
Our first born sons were born five days apart. I was thrilled when William called on April 27th to tell me his son was born. I remember when they were both so small they could sit in the base of the microwave cart in my kitchen enjoying a snack together. Rosa worked at the day care center that my kids attended and every time Miss Robin told me it was time to move Joseph up to another class, I insisted he needed more time with Miss Rosa. Our children are in different school districts now but when the boys get together, it is as though they saw each other last weekend.
The hand will sweep twelve and William turns 50!I think there should be a ringing of bells in the cathedral to celebrate such accomplishment but William would insist on a more understated mark. He's that kind of guy. I admire him greatly. He was born in the Dominican Republic, came to United States and after a successful career in banking, chose to become part of the family business, supermarkets. They are an entrepreneurial family. Nene, Robert, William, Jimmy and an extended family have established and grown a grocery business, an extremely successful one. His businesses are based in the poorest of neighborhoods where no one else was willing to take on the risk and quite literally, the danger, of doing business in these places.
We were out at dinner, the conversation led to work as it is wont to do. I whined about a few subjects and William gently chastised me for allowing my employer to treat me in such fashion. I burst into tears but he was so right. I allowed it. And I thank him for snapping me back to reality, to attention. I value and treasure his advice.
We have traveled all over the world together. This is the four of us having lunch in Vienna, 1999. Tres chic! I love talking about movies with him, busting Jamie's balls that it's taking too long to get to Atlantic City, comparing songs on our iPods and getting the crap scared out of me by his "dog bites." You haven't lived until you've survived the dog bite.
Happy birthday, William! I think you may have surmised that I'm a huge fan.
William Rodriguez. One word. Superbien.
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