Birthday_Memorial

Welcome

Happy 21st Birthday!
Melanie

May 11, 1979 - February 15, 1999

That
Something
Special

A Loving
Tribute

SOME PEOPLE HAVE A WAY
OF BRINGING OUT THE BEST IN YOU
BY THEIR CARING AND INTEREST
THAT THEY TAKE IN ALL YOU DO.
SOME PEOPLE MAKE YOU COMFORTABLE
RIGHT FROM THE VERY START
FOR THEIR SMILES AND LOVE OF LIFE
COME FROM A WARM AND GIVING HEART.
SOME PEOPLE ARE SO SPECIAL
THAT WHENEVER THEY'RE AROUND,
IT SEEMS THE WORLD IS FILLED WITH JOYS
JUST WAITING TO BE FOUND.

~Emily Matthews~

For Melanie's 21st Birthday!

I Miss You!

Love,
Melissa (Lisa) - M of M

I Wonder Is That You

As a butterfly flutters across the sky
I wonder is that you
I see my shadow seperate into two
I wonder is that you
As a rainbow arches it's back against the heavens
I wonder is that you
I watch as the summer sun settles to it's slumber
I wonder is that you

~author unknown~

A

Loving

Thought

for You,

Melanie

Sometimes
our lives are blessed
by people who are so special,
that we are happier
just because we know them...

We just want to tell you
that you're one
of those special people
in our life.

~autor unknown~

"Gone from our sight,
but never our memories ~
Gone from our touch,
but never our hearts."

~author unknown~

We Love and Miss You!!

Melanie Brooke

Happy Birthday!!
Love,
Mama & Daddy
Trinity, Miranda
and Brittany

Mel - Mel

I think
we were
friends
long before
we ever met~
in another
time,
in another
place
that neither
of us
can remember
but both
of us
can feel...

I think we were friends
from the very beginning
of time,
and that we'll remain friends
forever ~
and then some

~author unknown~

Have a

Wonderful Birthday

Love,
Kim (Davis)

I miss you

This Butterfly

So softly setting on a rose
Where it came from no one knows
on colored wings it comes and goes
This butterfly I've found

It dances freely in the air
then settling softly here and there
It's natures beauty, here to share
This butterfly I've found

And so I've seen them come and go
Their gaily colored wings they show
Yet special is this one, I know
This butterfly I've found

This special one, it's gifts are true
In everything I've seen it do
It's gifts are lovely thoughts of you
This butterfly I've found

~Author-James O'Brien~

To Melanie

Last Goodbye

My best friend, my sister.
I miss you so much.
I'd give anything
just to feel your touch.
Your body may fade,
but the memories never die,
and everytime I think of you
I feel like I want to cry.
Melanie, I love you
with all of my heart
and someday we'll be together again
so we shall never be apart.
So this is it, Sis,
take one last bow.
There's no more pain,
it's all over now.
I hope someday you'll forgive me
for this last goodbye
until I see ya again
when I, too, shall die.

From your loving sister,

Miranda

Written 5-11-00

Melanie On Her 19th Birthday

Melanie's Last Birthday With Us

Melanie
On
Her
First
Birthday

Forget Me Not

When the golden sun is sinking
And your mind from troubles free
When of others you are thinking,
Will you sometimes think of me?

~authour unknown~

Please God, make them remember that
Today is a speical birthday.
Make them understand that
The memories don't go away.
Bless them with ears to hear and hearts that care
Enable them to listen while I share.
Shelter them that they may never know my pain.
Help them to help me know that my child's life was not in vain.
Help them to remember Lord, that I wish
That my child was here
So we could still celebrate.
To understand that I still
Feel the nearness of my child.
To see beyond my smile and the
Words, "I'm okay."
Please God, just let one remember today,
Is a special birthday!

~author unknown~

A Special Birthday

Where Balloons Go

There's a place in the sky
where all dreams rise
and the sun
makes you wishes
come true.
It's the birthday - place,
and your dreams go there
when you wish
on a rising balloon
If you want to give it a try,
you close your eyes
and make a wish,
as birthday - dreamers do,
and as the balloons go by
like the years,
remember the sky!

~author unknown~

Forever 19

Melanie,

I will always remember your last birthday with us, May 11, 1998. Miranda was away on her Eighth Grade Trip, Trinity and Dad had to work and Brittany had school. School was over, for the summer, for you and you had the day off from work, even though McDonald's called and asked you to come in, you told them no. You thought we had all forgotten your birthday and you moped around the house all day. I had wanted to surprise you and the usual balloons, floral bouquet, and cards were not waiting for you, at your place setting, at the breakfast table, and all day I supressed my grins and giggles at your every humph and haw. Then Trinity arrived home, you were in your room listening to music and we had Britt keep you busy while we set up the table. When you finally came out and saw the dining room, your face lit up, a sight worth seeing,I almost felt guilty for letting you suffer all day. You were so happy with the cake, oohed and ahhed over it, even though it was a bakery cake and not one that I had baked and decorated myself, and you quickly blew out the candles with anticipation.. I will never forget how excited you were when you opened Trinity's gift, the necklace, and the look of sheer joy on your face, or how the smiles on your face quickly turned to tears of joy at her thoughtfulness. If I had known this would have been your last birthday with us, I would have cherished each and every moment of that day and I would have taken a thousand pictures, but I thought that you had a life-time of birthdays yet to come. I love and miss you Mel.

Love, Mama

First Birthday In Heaven

Dearest Melanie,

I couldn't let your birthday pass today without celebrating your birth. A birth worth remembering. A birth that brought such joy and smiles. You turned 20 today, a mile stone. I baked your cake this year, white on white, and decorated it with Eeyore. After school, this afternoon, we gathered at your grave side, me, Trinity, Miranda, Brittany , Lisa of course, Nicky, Candy and Arnaud was there too. We ran into Ashley Allen and she came along with us. I had everyone bring a rose, roses of many colors and we placed them in a vase, what a colorful bouquet. We brought balloons too Mel, purple, your favorite color, and white. We released them, 19 first, for the age you were when you left us, and then two more, one for your 20th birthday, and one to grow on or for luck. But we left a mylar balloon with musical notes, that said "Happy Birthday" tied to your roses. We then each read a poem, poems expressing our love, our feelings of your loss and our grief. Afterwards we all went to the park to have your cake. We playd your memorial tape and sat and shared memories of you. I had a few gifts for you. I bought the "Magic 8 Ball" that you had always asked for, hoping for a message from you. We all took turns asking it questions, you would have loved that. I also got you a candle holder and some floating candles to burn at the cemetery. Later tonight I went back to light a candle at your grave and Amber was there with Sabrina, she was leaving you a dozen roses. I spoke with her a few moments, she said she couldn't come this afternoon because of work. I was happy to see that other people had been to see you today and tonight also. Clair left you a potted plant and a card, someone else had left a potted violet and had lit a tulip shaped candle, there were two single roses with no card, Chassie had been by and she left a note with 3- 1999 pennies , I know they must have some significance for her and you, and Kim had come by with a card. Ashley told me something today that confused me, she said that you were so looking forward to this birthday. I couldn't figure out what she meant for a long time. You would have been 20, not the legal drinking and gambling age, so why were you looking forward to this particular birthday? Then it dawned on me later tonight, you are no longer a teenager. I love and miss you Melly.

                                                                                                                  Love, Mama
                                                                                                                   5-11-99

Second Birthday In Heaven

Mel,

I can't believe it is your second birthday without you. You were 21 today, you are legal now, a grown-up. Remember how you made me promise to go drinking with you when you turned 21? I wish we had had that chance. Our group was smaller this year as we gathered at your grave. There was me, Miranda, Brittany, Candace, and of course Lisa and her husband Matt. Kim surprised us with a visit, she came with Peter's brother Jeremy to leave you a potted plant and a card. She stayed while we released the balloons. Lisa brought the balloons this year, they were all dark purple and very beautiful. We put Forget-Me-Not flower seeds in each of the balloons and we tied little messages to the ribbons. I like to think that when the balloons burst that the seeds will fall to the ground and that soon Forget-Me-Not flowers will grow in your memory some where. We sent 19 up all at once, then two more for the age you would have been, 21, then I sent one more up for luck. What a pretty sight. Of course there was the tearful reading of poems as we remembered how much we love and miss you. Then to lighten the mood I brought out bottles of bubbles and we all blew bubbles that floated and fluttered about your grave casting rainbows all around in the air. I brought you a dozen roses, creamy pink roses with dark pink edges. Lisa brought you a sterling silver rose that she had to search the whole county to find. Later we gathered at our house for a party, after all it is your 21st birthday. I had decorated the side porch with streamers that said "Happy Birthday" and hung purple crepe paper and balloons. I had made floating butterflies of many colors and had them floating every where. They were a very nice touch and reminded us of your release. Uncle Ted came and we had pizza, your favorite with just cheese. Then afterwards we cut the cake that I baked for you, a yellow butterfly shaped cake that we served with vanilla ice cream, another favorite of yours. I gave you gifts too, two new candle holders, one for the cemetery, and one for the house, for the memorial we have for you on special occassions, like today we have a vase of roses and a candle burning beside your picture in a frame. I also gave you some butterfly yard picks to put around your marker at the cemetery, all small gifts of remembrance. I went back to the cemetery after dark and I sat down in the middle of your grave, just you and me. I noticed that your Aunt Anne had been by . She left a bouquet of purple rhododendron, from the bush in her yard, tied with a purple ribbon. Someone else had been by also and left a bouquet,a pink rose with babies breath Andrea came by and left a huge basket of cut flowers. A gorgeous arangement of pink roses, pink gladioluses and pink lilies. It was a beautiful night tonight and I sat and cried. I lit your new candle and arranged the butterfly picks around your marker, as I sat and talked to you. I brought a wine cooler and I sipped it while I thought about you and your life., I don't know how long I was there, but before I left, I toasted you by pouring the rest of the wine cooler on your grave, I kept my promise Mel. I love and miss you deeply.

                                                                                                                      Love, Mama
                                                                                                                       5-11-00

Post-Note

About 10 days after our birthday balloon release, I recieved a letter in the mail containing one of my cards and one of my balloons. On May 12th a man in Spartanburg SC found one of our balloons in his parking space. He arrived at work, at First South Bank, to find what he thought at first was trash. After reading our note he shared the tribute with his fellow workers. He said there wasn't a dry eye in the house. I just hope that this might have helped someone else in some small way.