A smile that melted your heart, if you were lucky to get one. Fierce as a revving engine, and smart as a fox, who was either destined to be an actor or lawyer.
She took her very first steps at nine months, read signs and sang songs at 14 months and had her child at the young age of 14.
Every morning, I would get my faithful call at 9:20, asking what I was doing and ending with “I love you.”
On November 25, 2011, after enjoying a delicious Thanksgiving meal prepared by my niece, we laughed, danced, reminisced and ended with taking our family photo. She clung tightly to my arm and insisted she sat on my lap for what would be unreadily our last time. The following day, she was killed in a drive-by shooting.
Since her demise, she has been left in a file and given a number!
She was 21 years old, and she was my daughter. Her name is Esscence T. Christal. Esscence was born and given a name. She is not just a number; please say her name!
Gun violence is not something we fight to combat, it’s a fight we must fight, and fight to WIN!