Laura.

The name Laura Thompson will forever be associated with happy times of my youth. Laura was my first love, first soulmate, first bestfriend. Outside of family, there was no one I loved more when I was a little girl. We were eachother’s first friends, becoming best friends when we met at Shaker Road School at age 3. Anyone from that time period knows how incredibly close and inseparable we were. It was almost comedic and as if we were known as one person named “Lexi and Laura” to those closest to us.

Memories of how excited we were when our parents agreed to let us have sleepovers or tears of fear we shared before our first overnight at camp that were consoled by a twinkie split between us spill over me every time I think of her or hear her name. Hours upon hours in the pool, playing the rock game, and practicing choreographed dances to Whitney Houston’s “How Will I know” (I still know all the moves) made me fall in love with our friendship more and more every day.

As time went on and we grew older and made different friends, we always kept that connection. While we didn’t keep in constant touch in the last few years, my heart is happy to say earlier this year we had a conversation where we were able to tell eachother how special we were to each other and always had been – 30 years later.

To this day, I still have not had as special of a friendship as I ever had with Laura and doubt I ever will. My heart hurts knowing that the world is going to be shining a little less brighter without her in it, but grateful every day I was lucky enough to have her be part of my life. Rest in peace, Laura. You will be sorely missed ❤️