The Team: For Miss Melissa

Dag... Years blow by me. I get years confused oftentimes. But I can easily say that the most significant year of my recent life was 2001-2002. I graduated high school in 2001, met Melissa that Fall, and parted ways with her by the Summer of 2002. So much transpired in that time frame, I hope I can do it justice...

Melissa and I had a class together that first semester in college. I was in this isolationist phase of my life, so I kinda sat away from the rest of the class. But Melissa came right over and introduced herself to me! She penetrated my friggin force-field, lol. I came to learn that Melissa was Dynamite in a small package... Well... Small meaning shorter than me, that is. But understand, Melissa was a self-proclaimed Fatty Girl, lol.

Melissa quickly became like my little sister away from home. I remember I had some problems coming out of my shell, and she was a little hostile toward dudes because of how they had treated her at various times. But when we started kicking it, it worked out that we were helping each other to solve these problems. One time, Melissa told me she'd never get married or have kids. lol...I remember I told her right then that she would, and it probably wouldn't be too long from now.

We used to be out and about late at night, sometimes as late as 2:00 or 3:00am. And I knew I had class the next day, but somehow kickin it with her felt like the right place for me to be. If we weren't out walking around, or at her dorm or my dorm, we were on the phone; my roomate was a nite owl too and didn't mind the noise, and Melissa didn't have a roomate so it was all good. Melissa is the first person I remember being open enough to tell jokes with. I think it was because she was so supportive of everything I did; I wasn't afraid of embarrassing myself with her, ya know? She was a mover, and she encouraged me to go for the things that I wanted.

How much of a mover was she? Well, I remember one time we started talking about our high school experiences. I told her how I got burned out in my senior year. She told me how she... didn't, lol. Melissa was in pretty much anything u could think of. She had all these banners and pictures and trophies and would get so many things in the mail from these various organizations... It was mindblowing. I was thinking to myself what I could've done if I just hadn't given up. And even further, her active nature reminded me of my little sister. I told Melissa about the things my sister did, and she seemed like she was really intrigued by her. I was dying for them to meet each other one day, lol.

It was a strange year that got downright crazy pretty soon. Melissa was diagnosed with MS, and began having advanced attacks. Her walking was immediately affected, and all of a sudden she wasn't able to get about like she normally would to go to class, etc. When it went down, she really brought something out of me. It was the first time in my life that I willingly put somebody else's interest ahead of my own. Melissa had been so much to me: helping me with my emotional problems, being concerned about me, encouraging me in my musical pursuits... I couldn't rest until I knew Melissa had everything she needed. I was scampering all the time, and I didn't mind doing it at all. We were already spending a heck of a lot of time together before, but now it was just insane amounts of time. And you know what? I miss it.

Thru it all, Melissa did something to my spirit too. God used her in her distress to teach me what prayer was all about. That year was the first time that I seriously prayed on someone else's behalf. The only thing at the time that I wanted was for Melissa to be healthy again, but the strange thing was it felt like I was praying for myself. I also solidified my own beliefs and what I had been taught back home by teaching them to Melissa. I remember her listening so intently to me, and me thinking to myself "I'm really saying this? Or maybe it's God saying it... Just keep talking..." lol. The day she called me and told me she finally got saved... man... I can't even describe it.

The craziness pretty much carried on til the very end of the semester, but we kept it tight nonetheless. I watched her have crushes on a cat or two and get over em; she watched me have crushes on a couple of young ladies and get my mind blown every time, lol. I came down and walked her home from the computer labs at night on several occasions to make sure she got in safe. We even had one incident that made the paper and stuff, but that's what college is for, right? Anywasy, we made it. It was all a blessing to me and I'd do it all again if I could.

So where is she now? lol... Let's just say I'm psychic. Melissa's married(B-P I told u so!). I also remember her telling me at one point the MS may have been a misdiagnosis, so I'm hoping every day that these prayers have paid off. I wanna say she also told me she was expecting, but I can't remember; it's been a long time and we've been out of touch. But if you ever come across this, I just want you to know that I haven't forgotten you, and I wish the best for your marriage. Stay strong, keep the faith, concern yourself with pleasing God, and He'll see that you're taken care of (read Mark 14). And get up on this DG Genuine Jamaican Ginger Beer cuz it's da bombest, lol.

So, allow me to make this ginger beer toast... All Love to Miss MelissaB-)