I remember Meleia

It has been over three years since Kimberly's lovely daughter, Meleia Starbuck-Willis, was murdered in Berkeley.

I still find it hard to believe.

What I remember about Meleia is how she looked at you deeply as if she could see into all of your insides. I felt like she did this so that she got to see all of you, not just what you looked like on the outside.

Soon after Meleia was murdered, Katrina swamped New Orleans. And then came the Kashmir earthquake: Government estimate 79,000 dead. My co-worker Nadia lost many members of her extended family.

So when I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer in late October, 2005, it just didn't seem so bad.

Still doesn't.