mr. mason

on january 4, my friend lost her best friend.

i was fortunate enough to know mr. mason. i met him for the first time in december of 2002. teresa hosted a christmas party for our grade level at her home. although i don't remember the night exactly, i'm sure mason came in to say hello, but enjoyed his own quiet time in the family room curled up in a soft, comfy sofa or chair corner. he was good at napping!

as teresa and i became closer friends, i became closer to mason, too. the three of us spent many sunday afternoons on the patio. i was lucky to have mason brush up against my legs many times.

the reason i say this is because mason was somewhat particular who he warmed up to. many of teresa's friends fall into a small, elite group who mason liked (and it was something we all boasted about!).

while she was on vacation, teresa asked me to feed and water mason. he was definitely happy to see me on those occasions! we chatted a bit while i was there and he allowed me to pet him a couple of times!

when i would go back to visit teresa and mason, he would greet me at the door to say hello, sit with me on the sofa to watch tv, and we would exchange our good-byes at the end of my visit. when i visited in october, mason was a bit sick. he had a reserved spot on the couch, but was nice enough to save me a small space next to him. when i left, i wondered if it would be the last time i would see dear mason. i remember saying an extra special good-bye, just in case. sadly, it was our final good-bye.

i know truly how special mason was to teresa. luckily, she'll always have the great memories of the 18 years they spent together. i, too, am glad to have known him and to have some special memories of our own!

rest in peace, mason.