I visited my first best friend, Kit Barrett Tillinghast, in Burlington, Vermont, yesterday in a nursing home. She’s there because she has hydrocephalus – or as she says, water on the brain. It causes instability in walking, dementia, and other side effects. She is quite upbeat and open about her situation which is that she has difficulty walking and keeping her mind organized. She wants very badly to go back to her home in South Burlington which she may be able to do once some issues are resolved.

We talked a bit about my blog. I’ve asked her to contribute to some of the more colorful adventures we had growing up together. I can’t wait to hear what she remembers!!!

We knew each other when we were very little – I always say we learned to walk together – and that’s probably true. We’re exactly one month apart in age. Her father was an elementary and high school classmate of my mother’s, and Kit and I attended a private nursery school in the Dickersons’ white brick house on Main Street in Norwich when we were four years old.

We attended the Norwich School through eight grades

 

 

 

 

 

 

and went on to Hanover High School together.

College separated us – Kit went to Ohio Wesleyan; I went to the University of Vermont.

Over the years we each had many other best friends, but we kept up with each other. I was her bridesmaid when she and “T” (Charles Tillinghast) got married, and I visited her in Burlington when he taught at UVM, and they had their two children, Carley and Jason.

Kit and I connected often when she and T and the kids came down from Burlington to visit Kit’s parents (Dr. Richard and Peg Barrett) on Elm Street in Norwich where Kit and her brother Rick grew up.

Each time we got together, we found that our conversations would start right where we left off the last time we saw each other even if many years intervened. I am sad with Kit that she is facing this struggle with hydrocephalus but I am proud of her for keeping going, trying to figure out what she can do to make a good life with it. Fortunately she has support from her children, Carley who lives in the Burlington area and has done a great deal with/for her, and Jake who is in Utah, but who calls her frequently and visits and helps when he can.

I look forward to the memories she’ll help me with.

P.S. If you know Kit, she would love to hear from you. She doesn’t “do” email, FaceBook or any other electronic messaging. BUT you can send a card:

Kit Tillinghast
c/o Birchwood Terrace
43 Starr Farm Road
Burlington, VT 05408

or call: 802-419-2592

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