In My Heart

1980 was a banner year for me.

It was the year the Meehan family moved in 'Over The Back Fence'.

All of a sudden my brother and I had 5 new playmates and it didn't take long for our lives to revolve around each other.

Every afternoon after school we would be there playing cricket, skateboarding, playing 'Khaki Free All', until one of our parents called out 'DINNER!!'

In summer we all ended up on our side of the fence for hours of fun in or around the pool.

Pete or Viv would stick their heads over and again call for dinner but within the hour we'd all be back to frolic until dark.

In later years Chrissie would have dinner with us and then scoot home for her second dinner when Pete yelled over the fence!

So many of my treasured memories involve the times spent with the Meehans.

My first kiss - with Matt over a game of ping pong in their garage,

summer holidays at Point Lonsdale,

teaching Jen to ride a bike and dive in the deep end,

Christmas's together with Pete preparing buckets of food,

sliding down their stairs in our sleeping bags,

Signalling to each other from the Meehan boys bedroom window,

dancing to Wired For Sound,

love letters,

mixed tapes,

18ths, 21sts, weddings, babies,

and now sadly we have lost one of the Meehans.

Pete passed away last week and we will miss him terribly.

I have snapshots of Pete in my mind - Pete on his banana lounge, Pete spending his day off by our pool, Pete cooking up a storm, Pete making me drink a glass of milk before I left the table, Pete screaming for CHRISTINA over the back fence, so many images that I know will stay with me always.

So to the Meehan family - Viv, Matt, Tom Chrissie, Mike, Jen, I love you all very much and know that Pete is always in my heart as he is yours.

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Viv and Pete dancing at my wedding.