I learned last night of an old friend’s passing; she died last week at 42.  I hadn’t seen Melissa for 20 years or more, but she was a significant part of my young adulthood, part of a group of friends that came along at exactly the right time for me, helping me see and come to terms with a world that was quite a bit bigger than the one in which I grew up, a world big enough to contain the wonderful diversity of humanity, a stunning rainbow that I was only beginning to be able to imagine at the time.  She was a very kind soul, always smiling, and always helpful – a dedicated friend.  One of the things I remember most about her is her tendency to sing musicals – constantly.  I knew her just after we had all graduated from high school, where she was a music theatre aficionado; I suppose we all had big dreams back then, and Les Miserables was a big favorite.  This is for her:

Thanks for reading.

Ryan