Appreciation: Debbie Wilcox

It seems like only yesterday that Debbie Wilcox and I were kids growing up in our little town of Sharon. We had the same teachers and both grew up on dairy farms. For a few years, if I wasn't at Debbie's house, she was at mine. I always felt at home with her family and she, in many ways, became a part of mine.

Although we lived 12 miles apart (a long ways back then), we both had big, grey horses. Often, I rode from Sharon Valley to meet her halfway on her ride from Amenia Union. From one farm or the other, we spent many happy days exploring the dirt roads of Sharon on horseback.

Of course, we started to outgrow the horses and it was with her that I learned how to drive the Volkswagen Beetle owned by her parents (Cathy and Norm) around the field by her house. That was almost as fun as the horses, and a first.

It was so sad to hear of her passing, but I feel very fortunate that I had many wonderful times with my best, old friend Debbie.

, Keene, N.H.