Melinda Ballard - Another wonderful tribute. Mary Melinda Ballard Mary Melinda Ballard was one of the kindest human beings I have ever had the privilege of knowing, and I am mourning her loss. The fog of her passing is dense and my blurry, tearful eyes make it difficult for me even see the screen, but I will try to capture the love I received from her. I came to know Melinda as a gardener learns of a rose, and I cannot think of any better way to more aptly describe her. She had the beauty of the richest and most vibrant rose petals with her love and vibrance for others spoken through the sun glistening off its dew dampened petals. But she also possessed the solidity and the firmness of a mature stem tested by the winds. And still more, the prickly outgrowths–her teeth, her bite, her thorns–truly representing her bite when she felt directly or even indirectly wronged. But like a rose, Melinda’s thorns were adaptations, outgrowths to promote her survival, outgrowths that sadly may have taken her from us far too soon. I spent literally thousands of hours with Melinda Ballard, either on the phone or in person, over several years, and her strength of character moved me. But I also was able to see a slightly different side of a woman who many were simply unable to see. In Melinda, I saw a spirituality, a genuine spirituality this devout Catholic man rarely sees even among his most devout and fellow congregants. In Melinda, I saw what those called to the faith can rarely proclaim because Melinda, unlike most, had truly been called through a religious experience. Melinda would often tease me as my family would drive downtown from Daniel Island to attend mass at the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist, only a blocks walk from her home. She was raised Catholic, and she was anything but a church going Catholic. But Melinda knew the faith and appreciated my desire to experience a second hand religious experience through the complete immersion of my existential senses in the faith. Melinda did not require complete immersion because Christ had called her to action, direct action to fight for those otherwise incapable of fighting on their own. Melinda’s mission, her pastoral mission, was to fight injustice wherever she saw it. Melinda fought and fought, but the toll of her battles became more and more visible. I cannot adequately recall the number of times Bryan asked Melinda to relax, settle down, and retire from her mission, but Melinda could not stop fighting. And while her material vices moved her in one direction, Christ’s calling for her centered her and gave her meaning, something she shared with me during a few of our religious and religion focused conversations. I forged a very close relationship with one of the finest warriors this world has known; I forged a relationship with a beautiful rose. She taught me, inspired me, scared me, challenged me, annoyed me, loved me, lectured me (and thus annoyed me some more), and tended to me like a shepherd tends to her sheep. Bryan had a loving wife, Reese had a loving mother, and I had a loving friend. I can speak with near complete confidence that the goodness of her heart shines on all who were touched by her. I miss you, Melinda, but I know God’s grace is welcoming you to his side. jazzocrat/2013/06/mary-melinda-ballard/#comment-2
Posted on: Fri, 21 Jun 2013 00:53:10 +0000
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