Memories from Lisa

The first time I met Michelle was in Junior High, the seventh grade. We sat next to one another in band. Michelle and I both played the flute, and being that it was the beginning of the school year, I did not know her, nor did I know that she would be second chair flute, as I, well, let's just say we would not be sitting next to one another in band for the whole year. Three different elementary Schools in Sayville come together as one in the Junior High. I did not have any friends at the time and I was in an awkward stage in the seventh grade. Many of the friends I had in elementary school, well , they had out grown me a bit and wanted to see that the other kids out grew me too before they got a chance to know me, so it was a tough first few months. There is this thing in small town suburbia that many kids go thru, and I happened to be one of them , 'the outcast' for a short time. Yet,there Michelle sat~ next to me with her gienhart flute placed across her lap. I wondered if she had heard rumors about me and already decided not to like me, but it was quite the opposite. Michelle smiled at me each day, and we would chat about our teacher Mr. Pangia and how funny he was. I looked forward to seeing Michelle in band practice. As time went on, Michelle and two other friends Michele Montefusco and Kristen Purvis became very nice to me as well and let me know that in spite of what others were saying, they still wanted to give me a chance themselves. Before I knew it, I was a part of a group again, and Michelle went out of her way to include me in plans. I remember that Halloween, it was pouring rain, and we found a cardboard box. Michelle suggested we all hold a piece of it over our heads to provide shelter from the rain. Which we did, and skipped along over puddles in the spooky Halloween night, 12 -13 year olds without a care in the world except each other and the young night ahead of us. Michelle was always filled with good ideas, genuinity and compassion, and those qualities radiated through her unforgettable smile.her smile was so big and warm that her big brown eyes tended to squint so all you could see were her eyelashes fluttering and her contagious smile and laughter. Her smile literally filled an already crowded room with such great substance.
These first few memories I have of Michelle are just a small amount of a ton of wonderful memories. but ones that I have been playing over and over again in my mind for a year now. The small memories lead me into the greater ones and time well spent with Michelle and her family. For many years Michelle and I were great friends, she was a great friend. To explain her personality justifiable enough is as hard as trying to understand how or why this happened to this wonderful women. She just didn't care what you had, where you came form, or where you were going, she only wanted to make sure you had love and support and understanding as you found your way. I'll never forget when Michelle encouraged me to try out for Cheerleading. HA! Me, In Cheerleading! I was so insecure, so so scared of being in front of people. Michelle just insisted I could do it, and she made sure to coach me every step of the way with help from her mom, and even young Meredith who was already a pro too. There we would practice at her house, at my house, dancing, doing cheers and all sorts of jumps to the techno song 'twilight zone' , very popular at that time. I could never imagine I would make the team, and come the day of try outs, by the end of the day, there was my name, I had made it! Being on cheerleading helped build up my confidence, helped my self esteem and most important made me a part of something. I had a bit of a difficult environment at times when I was younger, and if it wasn't for Michelle and her families constant encouragement, things could have been much much worse. I was over the Fisher's house a lot, and no matter what was going on in there own lives, I was always welcomed and felt comfortable. I'll never forget that feeling of safety in such a time of uncertainty. Thank you Michelle and The Fishers, thank you.
Michelle exceeded in every area of life when we were kids,and anything she took on she succeeded at with grace and stride. She excelled in her studies, and I can see her in her comfy clothes, with her legs up in her chair , huddled into her chest, studying. She excelled in foreign languages well, french,and spanish. She was a part of a small group of students who learned Russian! Michelle was a bit of an over achiever, but it was inspiring to see how well she also balanced her social life and knew when it was time to have fun. Michelle back then, was just so gracious and fun, loving and kind. I am saddened that I did not have the good fortune of knowing her more in her young adult years. from what I hear I like to think we still would have had a great deal to have admired in one another. Michelle and I lost touch later in life, yet I have been truly truly blessed to have shared any part of life with her at all. I have come to the realization of just how much I was blessed since this happened, and it saddens me to have to learn something from such tragedy; yet I can almost hear Michelle saying' See, ya learned somethin!' oh, how I have the chills, you are one of a kind Michelle Fisher, one of a kind.
I do not know why or how this happened to such a beautiful person. You hear all sorts of horrible things that occur in our society today and feel such sympathy for others that have to endure such grief. To be so close to this family in our community, in our lives,is heart breaking. We go on, in our daily bores, and Michelle and her family and her beautiful daughter cross our minds often, yet we go on? To me, trying to find the understanding of how this family will heal is such a huge challenge. I don't know if there is a word great enough to explain how deeply hurt I feel for Michelle's family , and her daughter Cassidy. It's been a year now, and yet it's as if time just stopped. I know one day in the future that time will indeed heal the wounds left by this tragedy,but for now it may just be too soon, and my heart along with many others may not be ready to accept. Grief must be met....and I think this is a part of my own, trying to find understanding and acceptance that her loved ones will heal, Michelle's spirit will guide them to heal. This I believe and feel each passing day.
They say that only the good die young,and for some of us in Sayville ,we understand that all too well. In this same weekend, we also remember another amazing women and life long friend of Michelle's, Lori Dayton Abrams. I can't hardly comprehend why they were taken from us too soon, but somehow, and perhaps cliched, I have solace in thinking that they are together somewhere......busy, and healed, lovingly watching over us with big white angel wings.....forever young..................
I loved you gals here on earth, and oh how I love you still...until we meet again.................
Lisa Vertichio