Meryle Mahrer Kaplan was in my first class on the first day of my first week at Douglass College. English 101 with Robert Crozier. I got a C—Meryle probably got an A. We were friends for 57 years. It is hard to find the words to describe a lifelong friendship. They are indistinguishable from getting up in the morning and looking at yourself in the mirror. No matter where, when, or who you are with or what you are doing, a lifelong friend is beside you. She knows your parents and the backstory that made you who you are and for me, Meryle accepted every mistake in judgment, every talent unsung, every effort failed and every milestone no matter how forgettable.
