The first time I spent any length of time with Melissa was a craft party I was invited to at her & Kim’s house when they lived in Corvallis, Oregon. I had told her that I would be bringing my 5 year old niece because I couldn’t find child care. Last minute, I was able to find someone to watch her, and so showed up alone. When I told Lissa this, her face dropped. She had set up an entire craft area for my niece complete with apron, paint, markers, and glitter. So many people would have been irritated that I was bringing a child to an adult gathering, but not her. She was genuinely looking forward to hanging out with my niece, and had gone out of her way to make sure she felt welcome. Between her consideration and love of children, I knew then that I wanted to be friends with her.