Teri was my very first friend. We were 5. Back then neither one of us were allowed to cross the street by ourselves (remember walk, don't run).
Teri & I went to different schools so we didn't get to spend a lot of time together except for summer vacation & holiday breaks. When we were in Jr High, she came with her girl classmates to South Park for Home Ec. Sometimes we would walk home together so we could talk.
Her love of dogs came at an early age. By the time she was 8 or 10, she was begging her parents for a dog. When she was 14 or 15 she finally got a little poodle that she could play with & chase all over their yard.
When we were 20, we rented the bottom half of a house on Oregon St near 16th. I worked & went to college. She worked full time at a printing company. Our boyfriends & I worked together at the Anchor Inn. The next year she got married. Again, our lives took us in different directions.
In the summer of 2021, I was in Oshkosh for my 45+1 (postponed by Covid) high school class reunion. We had a very nice visit & went out for Friday fish (MN doesn't do that except for Lent). We spent a lot of the time laughing. It was almost like we just saw each other the week before. We talked about getting together again, but never did.
I feel privileged to have had this special friendship that spanned so many years. And yes, when we last saw each other we exchanged hugs & I love yous. I will always miss her.
Mary