Author: Jeff Anthony
Thirty Five years. Long time. A great line from the song “To Sir with Love” is … “how do I thank someone who has taken me from crayons to perfume? It isn’t easy but I’ll try…” (not identifying as a female, ok?). So with enormous reverence, and a little bit of irreverence that Melissa would have mandated, here goes.
From the beginning you were different. A unique blend of passion, looks, character, intelligence, strength, and common-sense. You were able to lead and follow in the same situation. You could teach and learn at the same time. You were equally as strong as you were demure.
You were always full of grace, in life and in passing. You taught everyone you touched strength and courage, always with an indomitable spirit.
So we now remember how you lived. How you lived every day to the fullest. How you were always the reasonable one, except when you wanted to be crazy. Thankfully that was pretty often. The comments below represent moments from our life together that remain, always. Most of you reading these will only identify them as inside jokes. But many of you lived them with us. If you do remember the moment, please tag yourself. I have started with a few of Melissa’s partners-in-crime, but I hope you will add yourselves to the list as they bring back smiles and laughs, from a life that was meant to leave a million legacies. And Melissa certainly did that!
From the very first time Amy B. introduced us in Accounting 101, to the gold sweatshirt in the middle of the summer at Poison Apple, to the scotch lessons at Road Apple, to the Tri-Delt fire escape debacle, to the night of the fictional Kappas, to the water-douching of a Kappa Sig little sister, you set the stage for a life well-lived.
Back in KC after college, we had The Fire. Cinco de Mayo, 1989. We lost everything in a fire at our apartment complex. But that only fortified Melissa’s resolve. We got a house. With a pool. Great for skinny chicken fights (pre-kids) and entertaining your Dillard’s coworkers … when you weren’t chasing armed robbers that stole furs from the store! And we had such great neighbors!
Brooks and Addie were born. You are in the dictionary under “Great Mom”. More to follow in their post next week.
We moved, to a house that welcomed new year’s eve live lobster races and trips to Table Rock lake and the Ozarks (oh boy...!) We traveled to Napa and Italy and Vail and The Del. The kids were growing. And again, such great neighbors!
We moved again. But we screwed up. The house we bought was closer to Corinth, but was actually in Briarwood district. We wanted the kids to be at Corinth. That fateful day, August, 1998, as school was about to start, we went, hat in hand, to meet with Joe Palmer, Principal of Corinth. We begged for a transfer. After assuring him that we would commit heart and soul to Corinth, he agreed. Thus began Melissa’s incredible dedication and service to the kid’s schools. Auctions, PTA’s, room mother, you name it, she did it. And she helped raise lotsa money for the schools… All the while with her Bombora in the water bottle!
That house. On 89th. That house: Club Mold. Purple Popsicle Lips. The “Corinth Mafia”… That anniversary surprise that necessitated a complete cleaning of Michelle’s car. Blue Drinks… bad… Expulsion from the charity event, oops sorry Cindy. VBJ. Christmas Cheese Whiz. And such great neighbors!
Then there was the Fall Fling. Still legendary twenty years later. A leopard thong, a mullet, Irish car bombs, even caused a few divorces... great party. Had to change the name of the party after that.
We moved again. Western-World. Christmas PJ’s, The Big Slick, Village Pres. Day Care, Red Hot Night, Mardi Gras, Swim Chair, CRS. the list goes on and on. Again, blessed with such great neighbors!
Have you gotten it yet? Melissa was an amazing woman, with a heart of gold. That “little red corvette” that she was, taught us all how to live a life that is balanced and with a constant happy perspective! Even in the not-so-good times, that will of hers shone through. And it is that zeal for life that will continue on for all of us, that everyday joy and directive that we should look forward… and not back, and forge ahead, even if it is without her.
She would want us all to “Take Time”, and enjoy life to the fullest.
Always.
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