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Melanie's Spirit

Melanie Kessler loves to write poems — especially haikus, those 17-syllable Japanese verses. “They’re so simple but they say so much.” If this effervescent teenager were to write a haiku about herself, she says, she might use words like listener and loyal and caring and open and laughter.

And she’d probably throw in a dolphin and an ocean for good measure. Melanie positively loves dolphins. A large stuffed dolphin named Stubby resides in her bedroom. The phrase dolphindreamer is embedded in her email address. Inspired by family beachfront vacations, when she watches pods of sociable dolphins swimming by, she declares, “I want to be a dolphin trainer when I grow up.”

Well, there’s plenty of time for that. This week, soon-to-be-14-year-old Melanie began her eighth-grade year at Pleasant Valley Junior High. She thinks she might go out for volleyball, she’s “not too psyched yet” about a driver’s permit, and she discovers a lot about herself by writing.

Melanie excels in language arts. “I like to write stories and essays,” she says, “and I write in my journal every morning. I write about daily events and imaginary stories about what’s happening in my life, what I dream about. I really like to write.”

Family togetherness is fostered around the Kessler supper table. Mom Beth, dad Dave, brother Mark (11), and Melanie revisit the day with openness, love, and laughter. “My family is very supportive of everything my brother and I do. We all like to joke around and laugh a lot. I love to laugh.” In the summer, when family life revolves around ball games, supper has been grab-and-go. Laughter ensues over snacks at day’s end.

If faith is contagious, Melanie has a good shot at a life of deep meaning. “My mom and dad really are strong believers,” fed by Open Spirit music and prayers uttered around the family table. “My brother and I are warming up to faith. At my age, I’m starting to notice it more now.”

Entering her second year of confirmation, Melanie says, “I don’t necessarily feel I totally believe.” (Grownups have doubts too, Melanie.) “But there’s a part of me that really really wants to believe. It’s like a domino effect in my family.”

Friends and experiences are channels of grace too. What better to spark spirited conversation among adolescents than a poolside “summer romance” Bible study? Sherry Staub, the mother of Melanie’s friend Erica, rounded up Melanie, Emily Fuller, and other confirmation girl friends. They wandered through “tons of stories” about romantic characters like Abram and Sarai, Jacob and Rachel. In the complexities of ancient culture and biblical language, Melanie discovered that “it’s good to read the Bible with other people.”

Last winter’s St. Paul confirmation trip to a Chi-cago youth gathering called Quake helped Melanie connect life and faith — among friends. “It was rocking out, having fun, connecting with people.”

Melanie’s grandparents, who all live locally, are inspiring to this teenager too. John and Gail Kessler are on fire with a passion for feeding kids around the world. John is the “big cheese” (Melanie’s term) who coordinates every Quad-City meal-packaging event through Kids Against Hunger (KAH) — including St. Paul’s effort this Sunday morning.

“I think it’s really cool that my grandparents are able to do that,” says Melanie “They’re both really dedicated. I think it helps them connect more with God.”

Melanie and her family often pitch in. Not long after the Haiti earthquake, John Kessler spearheaded an all-volunteer event that packed an astounding 76,576 meals for Haitians. You can see Melanie, complete with lovely KAH hairnet, speaking at the end of a local TV news clip.

These events open up a world of need, a way to make sense of faith and life for a girl who loves dolphins and haikus. “You think, oh my gosh, people on the other side of the world will get the food you’ve prepared for them. And you’re helping them with their life. You feel like you can do something.”

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"This place is not like all other places, it is a different place, charged with other presence and other purpose, and we may expect here to be addressed and called." ~Walter Brueggemann