By Amanda Greene

Amanda Greene is finding the joys of Lupus. She was diagnosed with Lupus and APS at 15 years old. As "LA Lupus Lady" she is an online advocate for Lupus Research and Wellness. Amanda's flair for connecting using Social Media and passion for sharing made her transition to brand ambassador a natural one. Find Amanda online at http://www.lalupuslady.com or tweeting (too much!) @LAlupusLady.

Last year, the day before her Bat-Mitzvah in suburban New Jersey, my niece and I had to quickly run to Target to do some last-minute shopping. Rachel said something like, “Shopping with you is fun. It would be really fun to shop with you in New York City.” I think I then said, “What are you doing next year?” One year later, we found out.

Most Americans celebrated Father’s Day this year on June 17th, but Rachel and I celebrated her birthday. I had just arrived in New York after taking the red-eye for the “State of Now” conference. Rachel’s parents drove her from New Jersey into the city. Then Rachel and I started texting; we arranged to meet in Chinatown after a quick lunch with the family. After that, Rachel and I were on our own.

We grabbed a cab and hit the shops of Soho. They began to blur together – Forever 21, Top Shop, H & M, Necessary Clothing, Ricky’s NYC, Lush, Daffy’s, and Exstaza. From the trendy to the classic, Rachel got some amazing finds, including a beautiful high low dress that is on trend and made her look much older than her 14 years. As her “Auntie Panda,” it is hard to believe this beautiful young lady was once the little flower girl at my wedding not so long ago. Being together in New York City and shopping in Soho was just like shopping with a friend. Rachel has developed her own sense of style. (When did she grow up? It all happens so fast! Enjoy and appreciate the moments you get with your nieces and nephews.) Rachel saved her babysitting earnings and bought most of the items herself. When we hit Ricky’s NYC, it was my turn to share some of my beauty favorites and splurge on a few gifts for the birthday girl.

The shopping spree on Broadway – and jet lag – had set in; it was then time to head to the hotel for a nap before dinner. We took the subway (and Rachel loved every New York minute of it) uptown. As we approached the Hudson Hotel, we saw none other than Tiffany (known as @TiffanyAndLupus on Twitter) on the sidewalk. Tiffany was going to host “Lupus Chat” downstairs before joining us for dinner. Instead, we ended up watching Tiffany and Candace live tweet “Lupus Chat” from The Library of the Hudson Hotel. Not many teenage girls would want to spend time watching the Lupus social media community in action, but Rachel did not complain.

After the “Lupus Chat,” the four of us headed up to the hotel room. Rachel showered, changed into one of her new dresses, and then Tiffany applied Rachel’s makeup while I rested. Tiffany and I got ready for dinner (pain patch on my ankles, in true “Lupus Style”), and we rushed out of the hotel room to make our reservation at Joanne’s.

Joanne Trattoria has a special meaning to Tiffany and I – it is where we celebrated World Lupus Day.  When I was in New Jersey for the Alliance for Lupus Research Walk in May, Tiffany and I were still beaming with joy as we told Rachel about our lunch in the city. Rachel chose Joanne’s as the restaurant for her birthday dinner and even invited Tiffany to join us. The fact that Joanne’s is owned by Joe and Cynthia Germanotta (Lady Gaga’s parents) wasn’t the only reason why Rachel wanted to eat there.  Rachel wanted to taste the macaroni and cheese – in May, I could not stop talking about Chef Art Smith’s classic. During dinner, we talked about how Lady Gaga’s Aunt Joanne had Lupus. Tiffany and I toasted to Rachel. We toasted to Joanne and all the other Warriors who lost their battle in the war against Lupus. Then we toasted to Rachel again.

Then the texts began and our evening was coming to a close; her parents wanted to know where to meet us. We paid for dinner and walked towards the hotel. After taking a few pictures in front of Lincoln Center, we texted Rachel’s parents; and they met us a few blocks away. Unfortunately, it was a school night or I would have partied with Rachel all night.

Rachel and I have already started making plans for next year’s celebration – we will be tackling the Upper West Side. I can’t wait until the next time Rachel and I get to bond in the Big Apple. Whether it is her birthday, my birthday, or no special occasion at all, we are guaranteed to have a good time together.

Photo: Courtesy of Amanda Greene
Published: July 16, 2012