Christa – My Friend
I will always treasure my friendship with Christa McAuliffe. It began in the late 1970s when Christa was a teacher at Bow Memorial School and I was the school nurse. We shared an interest in physical fitness that led to us to became “running buddies,” along with another teacher, for several years. Once a week after school, we did a long seven-mile run โ down Bow Center Road and Logging Hill Road to South Street, to Iron Works Road to Clinton Street, to Silk Farm Road and Albin Road, and back to Bow Center Road and school.
It was during those runs that I came to know Christa intimately and to admire her ability to juggle her professional life and personal demands and desires so effortlessly. She was the most optimistic, joyful and caring person I have ever known. In all the years I knew her, I never heard her say an unkind word about anyone. She had a smile that was contagious and a little giggle to her laugh that made you want to laugh too. We had the pleasure of competing in two Annual Bonne Belle 10K Road Races in Boston before she left to teach in Concord. From the moment she applied to the space program I had a strong feeling that she would be selected.
I often think of all she might have accomplished, but try to remember instead the positive effect that she did have on those of us who knew her and called her friend.