Just about everyone who knew Teresa Ann Cobb called her “Teri.” I for one cannot ever remember calling her Teresa. She was just my friend Teri.
Teri often said life was “too short to sweat the small stuff.” And that is exactly how she lived it. We used to joke about how she would have multiple projects in progress at the same time. Every time we talked, she was on her way to someplace. She often visited the library where she did a lot of research there on holistic treatment for her health issues. I watched her work through her pain and other issues to set an example of strength for others who needed her.
Teri had this incredibly contagious smile that made you smile right along with her, even when you were upset with her. And her breakneck pace of talking? I told her on more than one occasion that she could sell the same bridge several times.
One of Teri’s strongest desires was to write a book, to tell her story, and to tell it her way, because no one could do it better than she could. I wish she had.
I know she made an impact on many lives and enjoyed seeing the people in her life happy. What is so strange to me about that sentence is that it is written in the past tense. Teri was one of those unique individuals who remained present in my life, even if extensive lengths of time passed in between our contacts with each other. And even though her absence has been more than six months – even though it is permanent – it still seems unreal to me.
I miss you, Teri. I wish for you love and perfect peace, my friend.
(Vera Washington was among the Eight Revolutionaries who – along with Teri Cobb – left Peoples Temple in 1973. Her previous articles can be found here. She can be reached at reginav8@yahoo.com.)