A Gift for Melissa

Forty one years ago today, right now, I was in labor in the hospital.    Woke up around 5 a.m. with contractions.  I remember having everything ready to go, including a deck of cards, in case we would be there for awhile!  Not necessary.  We got to the hospital around 5:30, our beautiful daughter, Melissa Marie, was born at 1:19 p.m.

It was a balmy, calm morning for January.  No snow on the ground. Yet.

Two days later (yep, they used to let you stay for a couple of days) we were ready to go home.
Our car wouldn't start.  So Donny called his college roommate and best friend, Rick Kayser, to the rescue.  Melissa and I were in the front seat (I was holding her!) and Donny was in the back seat.  We drove by the Fortener house where there were a new Grandma and Grandpa and seven aunts and uncles waiting to see the baby.  By the time we went home, there was snow on the ground and it was starting to pile up.  So I held her up to the window for them to see.

Two weeks later we had a blizzard.  The Blizzard of '78.  I wasn't going anywhere anyway, so being stuck in the house wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

It was the beginning of a Wonderful Life.  Truly.

We were young and inexperienced and didn't know any better.  About anything.  But we survived.  We thrived.

Melissa was a good baby and a couple years later became a big sister.  Then life got more interesting.
***
When Melissa was diagnosed with breast cancer, I started carrying a spiral notebook in my purse to take notes at doctor appointments, chemo treatments, notes during phone calls.  By December of 2008, I had seven spiral notebooks filled with information, not just notes, but anecdotal information too.  Things Melissa said that I didn't want to forget.

About a month ago, I was reading through the last one.  I came to December 16, 2008.   Melissa was talking about wanting to do something for Hospice (she was in Hospice at the time).  Melissa never had enough pens/paper/notebooks/thank you notes/notecards.  Or sparkly pens.  She thought Hospice needed a Stationery Room.

I remember thinking about that right after she passed away.  Wanting to do something like that for her.  But a lot of other things happened instead.  We did a lot of things that made US happy.  And others remembered Melissa.  An Award in Melissa's memory for the Fairmont Girls Basketball Program.  A bench outside the athletic office.  An amazing Scholarship Fundraiser.  (So far 21 $1000 Scholarships have been awarded to students Fairmont High School, along with fees for Pay to Participate to seven students at Fairmont.  The Cincinnati Kelts give the Keltic Pride Award in Fort's memory every year at their banquet.  Donations to the Kelts for their Foundation to build a new pitch.
The Fort 5K.  Three Susan Komen 3 Day/60 Mile Walks.

All things that we wanted.  Or her friends wanted.  To remember her.   All things that made US happy.

Now we can do something that SHE wanted!  Her Scholarship fund has grown (thanks to the Dreambuilders Foundation that invests the money) and thanks to the continued support of the Cincinnati Kelts.  Their donation from the Breast Cancer Fundraiser every fall takes care of the Scholarships that are awarded every spring.

Finally we can do something that SHE wanted!!!!

I've talked to the Foundation Director of Donations at Hospice, and we will be donating money to start a "Stationery Room".    They do not have a dedicated space for something like this, but there are ways we can fulfill her dream.  They have a cart that they take from room to room with snacks.  They will add Pens/Notecards/Journals/Thank You Notes to the cart.  All free to anyone who is a patient at Hospice or their families.    Also talking about maybe having a display in the Family/Friend lobbies at the end of each hall with stationery.

When I mentioned Journals, the director started telling me about a camp they run every summer for kids (7-17) who are grieving the loss of a loved one.  "It's a typical camp.  Swimming, hiking, fishing.  But they also have sessions where they talk about their loss AND Journal."

So we are donating journals for the camp as well.  AND she has someone designing a cover for the journals - incorporating FORT/butterflies/B POSITIVE in the design.

Our gift to her.  And every year on her birthday we will make sure that the Stationery Room is funded.

Happy Birthday Melissa Marie!  I know this is a gift you would love.  And nothing could make us happier.

Love you Miss you.  EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.