By Alton Buland

Thursday, December 7, 2006

Covenant Lutheran Church

Temple, Texas 
 

Melisse would want me to keep this short, so I’ll do my best.  I was a little more serious at the service yesterday, but I think these remarks might be more her style. 
 

First, on behalf of Khim and my parents, I’d like to thank everyone for coming today.  My family is overwhelmed by the kindness people have shown us this week.  Especially those who traveled so far to be with us.  People around the world have opened up their hearts – and their ovens to us.  My family is so grateful for your thoughts, and prayers, and your casseroles.  I think Melisse particularly would have liked the lasagna. 
 

The other night, when the pastors were at our house and they and my parents were planning the services, picking hymns and talking floral arrangements, I got up and left the room and thought to myself, “this is kind of lame; I’ll head upstairs and see what Melisse is up to.” 
 

I’m sorry, Pastor, but you have to understand I had just spent 14 hours on an airplane.  And that was my sister.  She was always up to something more interesting than the rest of us.  While we’re drying dishes or doing homework, she was teaching the cat how to play soccer. 
 

Melisse was always my little sidekick.  My earliest memories are of waiting for Melisse to come home from the hospital when she was born.  My parents tell me I was the one who named her Melisse.  I have to apologize to her for that, since it meant a life of misspellings and mispronunciations, but then again, my parents’ named me Alton and Khim has a silent “h” in it.  There’s probably not a soccer trophy or Temple Daily Telegram clipping in our house that any of our names right. 
 

But Melisse was the type to laugh that off.  I will always remember her smiling.  And not with that yearbook photo smile, but with this sly and mischievous grin.  The impish one she flashed right before she pulled a prank on Khim, or when she would give me a piece of waxed fruit or a fart extinguisher for Christmas.  Anyone who played soccer with her would see the smile right before she dribbled past a defender twice her size and half her speed. 
 

There was so much intelligence, confidence, curiosity, humor, and life behind that smile.  And even with the past two years, no matter what, I knew that grin was always there somewhere.  And we loved her for it.  Everyone in this room did.  And she loved us all back, and she still does.  We all need to remember that.   
 

I hope you will share some of your stories of Melisse with my family and with each other.  Thank you again for coming.   
 

I got to say “fart extinguisher” in church.  Melisse definitely is smiling again.