Dec 11, 2018
MELANIE BUCK, In Memorium
Photo
credit: Freequency Media
LATE
NOVEMBER, 2017 ~ FURSTWURLD, Joshua Tree, CA
On
this beautiful fall day, a group of loving, talented Morongo Basin
locals met at a local community gathering place to talk to Janelle
from Freequency Media and be part of her new project. Melanie is
second from the back, with the short brown hair.
After
a bit of conversation about what brought some of us to Joshua Tree
and the spiritual allure of this place, Janelle and her production
team set up a meditation area, Melanie sat behind me and Gabriella
Nagy led us in a deep, heart-centered yoga and
meditation.
As we
proceeded through the meditation, I couldn't shake the feeling that
there was something so very special about this moment. Intuition
was telling me to remember it, implant it in my brain. The
sunshine, the mountains, the feel of the desert earth under
me and each individual beautiful soul that was there on that rug -
all of us vibrating together.
The
scene was incredibly alive, as you see in the photo above. It was
warm under the shining fall day, our hearts were aglow with
Gabriella lovingly guiding us through the chanting and yoga. The
love people have for one another here was so very evident and I
felt it.
When
the session was over and everyone was gathering their things,
Janelle asked me to stay for a brief interview. While waiting for
her crew to come around, still holding on to that feeling, I burst
into tears. Janelle asked why I was crying and I explained
the feeling I had, that there was something extremely special about
this moment that I was being called to hold on to it. We continued
to talk, then helped pack things up and everyone went their own
ways. It was the last time I saw Melanie.
That
was Friday ~ on Monday, over morning coffee, I opened my laptop,
logged on to Facebook, confronted with messages I never expected to
see.
Something happened to Melanie Buck on
Sunday.
There
were messages with words like 'tragic loss'. You see, six weeks
ago, Melanie and her husband, Paul, had just welcomed their son,
Joe Claude into the world - he was six weeks old.
Tragic
indeed.
I
reached out to Faith Chinnock, since hers was one of the first
messages I saw. We spoke briefly and cried together in our
astonishment and sadness.
A few
moments later my phone rang. It was Carly Valentine, "What happened
to Melanie?" More brief discussion, crying, and 'i love
yous'.
Tragic
indeed.
Everyone who met Melanie loved her immediately.
She led with exuberance, humor, and a constant smile. Her love for
her life and this desert was evident.
I
fielded a phone call from someone locally who I'd never met, who
had just met Melanie a few weeks earlier, who was hoping to get to
know her better.
Tragic.
So, to
honor Melanie and her kind, loving soul, I wanted to bring her
episode to the forefront again. She
left us on December 3, 2017, at a time of the year when, perhaps,
we yearn and hope for more connection, remembering those who have
taken their light into another room and look hope in the candles
glow and the gatherings of friends or family.
For
those who haven't heard the interview, listen to the great love in
her voice for absolutely everything in her life. She was filled
with gratitude.
For
those who have heard it, I hope you'll listen again and let her
voice seep into your soul and leave you smiling.
We
miss our friend - I know.
And
please listen through to the message from her parents, Gay and
David Whitman - they ache for the daughter daily.