The first time I met Melissa was country dancing in Pleasant Grove, Utah. We were standing next to each other by the fan cooling off. I danced with Melissa that night and was impressed with her skill in dancing. As I had taken classes and was on a team in college, I knew she had danced before as well. I remember complimenting her on her dancing. We danced that night and then again each time we met there. I will never forget how much enjoyment we found, not only dancing, but especially dancing with each other. I wanted to get to know her better and thanks to her roommate Hala that opportunity finally presented itself.

Melissa filled my life with happiness and joy. She would continually leave me little notes, telling me how much she loved me or complimenting me on something she had observed or wanted me to know she treasured about me. I was truly content in our love and in my life.

When we discovered that Melissa had cancer, I was shocked. Melissa, who had always eaten so carefully and right. Melissa, who was always conscious of her health. Melissa, who just a couple years earlier was the model of health. How could this be? I searched night after night for the best clinics and care for her. I studied all I could find on lung cancer, I prayed continually and was comforted again and again. Both Melissa and I felt from the very beginning that it was going to be all right. We didn’t know exactly what all right meant yet, but we knew we were in the care of a loving Father in Heaven and we were okay with whatever it was he had in store for us, as difficult as it might be.

I am forever grateful for all that Melissa has brought into my life. Not only my beautiful children, that I treasure even more than my own life, but a companionship, a friendship, and a love that transcends time. I love her with all my heart, and always will. I miss her beautiful smile, I miss her incredible eyes that reflected to me what she felt. I miss her voice and singing to her. I miss her wisdom and council. I miss her Christ-like love and forgiveness. Melissa forever saw the best in everyone around her. She was always willing to give someone the benefit of the doubt. She saw the good in everyone and anyone. I miss her goodness. She always will be my hero, my example, my treasured friend, my confidant, my sweetheart, and my love.

I miss you MY Melissa. There will always be a part of my heart that only you can fill. I long to hold you in my arms once again and will never be completely whole without you. When we again meet on high, only then will I be home, for without you it could never be home.

I love you.

Samuel

Wow where do I begin… I met Melissa in December 2010. She had just been diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. There was an immediate connection to her and her family. Even my kids felt it, saying that they felt so close, like her children were their siblings. Melissa made every effort to get to know me and be my friend even though she had her own trials to face. It was like she could feel my pain and had an understanding of what I’d been through even before I told her anything. As time went on I grew more and more love for Melissa, she is truly a wonderful, genuine person that is full of the light of Christ. I found out about this website the day of her funeral but kept my distance, because you see I married Sam and am raising her children. Melissa was so unselfish and wanted to do what the Lord wanted her to do, so much that she sacrificed her Heaven on earth for my happiness. She gave Sam and me her blessing and told her close family members and children that she wanted Sam and I to marry quickly after she passed. Because of her unselfishness her children never once questioned me as their new mother, and love me with her unconditional love. Her family has welcomed me in, and been so kind to me. Melissa is still influencing many lives, she has come to me often and has helped me comfort her husband, children and today her sister. I’m sure that I do not hear or feel everything that Melissa would like me to, but am so grateful for what I do gain from her spirit. I don’t know what I’ve done to be so blessed to feel her closely, to have her give me her Heaven. I love her children and dear Sam. I will do my best to help them, to love them; however I will not be able to do as well as she could.

Bethany- Cuddle bug, she is 7 and just today I was talking to her about her mom being gone only 5 months. She then said “It feels like forever since I saw her.” Her Kitten was hit by a car last Thursday and she cried a bit and replied “Mama has a kitten to play with now and I know she’ll take good care of Duchess.” Bethany had a very difficult time at first and didn’t want to be with many people and I was so glad that she was comfortable with me. One day when she was crying and saying that life is so unfair, I explained that Caleb, James, and Daniel needed her too and that Melissa was taking care of them, that they’d been without her for a very long time. She then said “Well I guess they need her too. I can do hard things, but I can’t wait until I get to see her again.”

Ausitn (9)- At times he’s been angry and he hasn’t let many people in, I am so fortunate that he has let me in many times. He gives me lots of loves and is always excited to tell me his achievements and fun things happening in his life. I have two boys and he has been so glad to have brothers and is such a good brother to them. He is so intelligent and reading 3 grades (at least) above his grade level.

Cassie (11)- she is more grown up than any 11 year old I’ve ever known. She has Melissa’s beautiful brown eyes, (though they are not as dark, they are very big and caring). She looks a lot like Melissa. She has Melissa’s love for reading and writing. She is very forgiving and patient like her mother.

I have 4 children and one on the way now, so life has changed a lot for everyone. It has been wonderful and difficult. I think everyone is doing as well as expected and that is largely because of Melissa’s blessings and spirit in our life frequently. Melissa was wearing a bracelet from my daughter Aurora when she passed. Madeline idolized Melissa since the first time she met her. One of the last things that Melissa said to me was that one of her biggest regrets was that she didn’t learn how to play the piano, and that one day she would play well enough to accompany people but first she needs to work on sitting up. Melissa even in her last days joked and made everyone feel welcomed. I’ve been so blessed to have the privileged to know one of God’s most choice daughters to walk the earth. I love you Melissa.

I’m not sure if this is appropriate, but I’m going to follow my heart & leave my message.
Today i googled my name, just because.. Apparantly, to my surprise, there are quite a few Melissa Black’s. I scrolled down the list- Melissa Black the Dr., Melissa Black the Pianist, the singer/songwriter, the author…and then I came across a picture. A picture of your Melissa. She is so beautiful & strong with such kind & inviting eyes. Then I read the words,”passed away peacefully in bed” & a wave of sadness came over me. She was my age? How is this fair? I continued reading all the wonderful things written by melissa’s friends, family & some people that knew her through others that loved her so. Then I read how much she loved God & that she is a Morman. I was raised in the morman church but have ‘t been a member since I was 18. Maybe that has been my biggest mistake. I want Melissa’s family to know, just by reading how much she was loved by all & how she blessed so many people’s lives, from simply being happy through Jesus Christ.
I wAnt to be better! IWANT TO BE LIKE YOUR PRECIOUS MELISSA AS WELL. I pray this message will be recieved with love, as that is how I recieved it. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, AMEN. Thank You Melissa…

I barely found out dear friend that you left this world and returned to your Heavenly Father. My heart aches but oh how happy that I am that we will see you again. I remember seeing you the 1st time in the halls of Springville Junior High school and wondering how some one could be so beautiful with those piecing brown eyes. I was attracted to your beautiful testimony of the savior Jesus Christ that others seemed to lack at such a young age. You always were kind to me even when I was so new among the kids that all knew each other as I was just a new kid from Provo. Goodbye dear friend until We see each other on the other side!

Your friend always,

Tosh Black

P.s We never did find out if we were cousins……Ha

My Memory Of Melissa Is How She Could Make Anyone Feel Worthwhile. My Life Is Better Because She Was My Friend. I Knew Her Best When She Was A Young Girl. A At Very Young Age She Had Gods Gift Of Making People Fill Important. I Wish I Could Be Just A Little More Like Her. I Send My Love To Her Family, Mom, Sisters, And Brothers. This Woman Is A Very Special Daughter Of God. Love You All.

I Met Melissa When She And I Worked At Waterford Institute In The Year 2000. I Was A Bit Intimidated By Her At First . . . She Was Such A Beautiful Person. She Was Always So Graceful And Had Such Amazing Dark Eyes. Over Time, I Was Privileged To Become Her Friend. There Was Always A Strength And Peace About Melissa. I Had Recently Become Divorced And Was Very Sad During This Time. I Was Surprised To Find Out That She Was Recently Divorced As Well. I Was Blessed To Have Her Become My Roommate. While I Tended To Wallow In Self Pity And Depression, She Brought Peace And Comfort. She Was There For Me During Very Low Times. Even Though She Was Also Suffering, I Don’t Remember Comforting Her—i Only Remember Her Comforting Me. What An Amazing Woman. Compassionate, Loving And Full Of Faith. The Lord Must Have Known I Needed Her. We Often Went Out Country Dancing On The Weekends. That Is Where She Met Her Husband Sam. She Didn’t Remain My Roommate Very Long Once She Met Him, But She Was An Angel In My Life.

Melissa was only 20 months older than me. She and I were so close and great friends. I will admit though, that she was a hard one to follow. In my eyes she was perfect. She could do no wrong and it really annoyed me at times. I remember being in our bedroom and I would be mad at her for something. I would throw my fit and she would patiently wait for me to get my frustrations out. As soon as I would calm down, she would look at me and say, Are you finished yet? It would make me want to scream. I just wanted her to fight back with me. She wouldn’t though. It wasn’t in her.

She use to have a little figurine in her room that said, “Smile, God loves you” and she would tell me that she loved the color yellow because it stood for happiness. I didn’t like the color yellow for many years, but yellow means something special to me now. Yellow will not only stand for happiness in my mind, it will stand for Melissa. It will remind me to always have faith, to speak a little softer, to be kind, to be gracious, and also to dance. Melissa loved to dance. A couple of Saturdays ago, my kids, my husband and I all danced our hearts out in honor of Melissa. Music will be on and I will be dancing much more often than I use to because I know that Melissa will not want me to be sad and mourn her lost, but get up and dance and celebrate how happy she is.

About 4 ½ years ago I was visiting Utah and Melissa came to stay at my mom’s for the night to spend time with me. She and I stayed up really late talking. It was just the two of us. I had moved out of Utah when I was 19. I guess I always still thought of Melissa as a teenager. It was this night of spending time with her that all of a sudden she changed in my mind. There was a lot of laughter that night, but there were also a lot of tears as we both shared some of the painful experiences we had gone through.

As I listened to her, she was no longer that teenager that I always felt jealous of and felt I could never be like, she became an adult in my eyes. She was a mom just like me. We were both just trying to make it. She was a friend, and a sister here on earth on her journey and I was on mine. She shared with me her experience of losing her babies. There were many tears shed as she shared with me her pain, yet there was always that faith. She knew that things were meant to be that way even though she didn’t like it nor fully comprehend the reason. I am so excited for her to be with them again.

Heavenly Father blessed me to be able to move back to Utah for 3 short years back in 2010. We just moved back out of Utah to Maryland in December. I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to be near her those 3 years and say goodbye to her before I moved. I remember when I gave her a hug I felt deep down that I wasn’t going to see her again in this life. It surprised me I felt that way because she was doing so well. I think that she felt it too and we just held each other and cried. I wasn’t able to come out to Utah to see her before she passed, and I treasure that goodbye hug.

I will also treasure my last phone conversation with her. She had some strength in her voice and was able to talk to me for a few minutes. She told me that she was at peace and was ready to go. She was so cute. She said, “I’m just not sure how it is all going to happen. Do I just go to sleep and then wake up in a different dimension?” I told her that I didn’t know and that she had to promise me that she was going to come and visit me in my dreams and tell me how it’s done. She said she would and then we talked about my dreams and the parties we are going to have when she comes to visit me. I look forward to seeing my beautiful, sweet sister in my dreams.

On the days where I am feeling so sad and missing her so much I will let myself cry to get it all out, and then I will get up and dance and have a great day in honor of her. Thank you Melissa for always being there for me and teaching me through example to live a Christ centered life. You will be missed, but never forgotten. I love you

by Julie Gleed

Although I did not know Melissa personally, I was aware of her remarkable courage and optomistic attitude throughout her struggle with cancer, through her brother. My prayers are with your family during this difficult time of mourning. Know she is no longer struggling and is healthy and at peace surrounded by her Father and our Lord, Jesus Christ. I give my most sincere condolences and love to her family on this precious and sensitive day.

by Shelley Prichard Winn

A former college roommate just sent me the news of Mellissa’s passing. I was blessed to meet and share a room with Melissa my first year at Snow College. She was such a busy girl, yet so kind and thoughtful. I couldn’t of asked for nicer individual to share the transition from home to college life. She was always eating funny things, health nut at a young age. Her family is in my thoughts and prayers.