A moment of your time...

I suppose instead of writing a new blog, I should take this time to actually finish my blogging of Japan sicne I have a couple of them finished and sitting around in my laptop.... but I believe this has more priority over my blogging of my time in Japan, or rather, this is more about a person whom I had the opportunity of working with and enjoyed good times with when I was with her in Japan.

Her name was Melissa Ahrens, but to everyone else, especially the campers, she was just Mo. Mo was a fun person to be with and was always positive whenever times were down at camp. She was vibrant with life and full of knowledge and experiences that I admired above all others. My first impression of her had been rather... iffy, but as time wore on, she became someone whom I grew to look upon for strength along with all the other members of my team. I came to see her in a different light immediately when one day, I asked her a question that she answered. It wasn't the answer that made me see how great a person she was, but rather how she answered it. She talked to me as if she had known me longer than our beginning few weeks together and as an equal.

As an AD, I had begun seeing Mo as someone with a superiority status because she was an AD and was in charge of our team and the other ACs, but Mo hadn't pressed that status onto me or anyone else at all. She spoke to everyone as an equal and was so easy to get along with. I feel guilty when I think of how I saw her at first, but in the end, I am so happy to have known her. After all, we ate together, slept in the same room and same place together and even bathed together every single day 24/7 for almost two months. That's enough time to see how great a person she was and it didn't take very long.

She seemed to be getting on well with her life when we separated and yet, we all missed each other terribly after camp was over. Though I didn't talk to her much afterwards, I kept up with what she did on Facebook. She seemed happy with her life and all seemed well as she was continuing on with what went on in her life... and yet, fate seemed cruel in the form of a drunk driver who cruelly took her away even though she had been caught and arrested for drunk driving before. Mo's life, unfortunately, came to an end.

Why? It's the question that I ask myself. Though I ask myself that, it's the shock of it all that still overwhelms me. She still feels like she's there and yet... the world seems so empty because she isn't there anymore... how can someone as wonderful as Mo not be there? There is no forgiveness for the person who took Mo's life away, a hit and run driver who had been driving drunk twice before. If two lessons didn't teach her anything, taking Mo's life had better teach her something. Mo didn't deserve to be taken away like that and she sure as hell didn't deserve to die at all. She was still young and so full of life. She shouldn't have been taken away like that...

Mo was a good person and still is. She was a good leader, a good friend and a wonderful person all together. She was so strong and confident and helped us all move along when times were rough. I don't think there'll be another person like Mo ever and noone can ever take her place. she was one of a kind and a very good friend. She will always be remembered.

Mo, thank you for everything. You were a really good friend and a fantastic AD. I will miss you and hope that your path from here on is a safe and gentle journey. Goodbye Mo and good luck...