My blog-post yesterday was one of few words, published while in a total shock and with hands too shakey to be able to type, just within an hour after I received Grazia’s phone-call with the news I was so afraid of to get.

Don (Don.Mill), my beloved, wonderful, witty, warm, caring, smart and very brave friend and Grazia’s partner, had passed away. On Saturday morning, 5AM est.
Needless to say the shock was, and still is,  immense. No matter how afraid and worried I was this could happen; when he sent me text-messages just a few days ago – so hopeful, so full of the will to live, I started to believe in it too.
Because that is what I wanted,  that he would get better and all would be fine again.

It didn’t work out that way.

My heart and prayers go out to his wife in RL and to Grazia and Darla – his SL partner and daughter – and I know he has touched so, so many lives in both worlds with just being the amazing person he was.

I will forever cherish the memories of our conversations in both SL and RL – although we never met in ‘real’ we have had long Skype calls with webcam and those count as real to me.  Endless talks about all sorts of things, from Vikings to Tango, from Dutch windmills to Dulce de Leche. I could listen to his deep voice for hours and hours. He was, in SL always up for posing for pictures – describing himself a nice and sexy male-prop but of course he was so much more.

I have chosen pictures in this blog that reflect his humour, how much fun we have had, to show the lovely, lively side of this man who had so much going on in his life and yet had time to make others feel good.

On occasion, especially the past few months he was worried about his health and in his own, ‘Don-humourish’ way would leave me messages as : ‘Caro, if I don’t make it this time, know I have loved you.’

Don… I know. And I have loved you too. And I am better for having known you.

Adiós