Shantia N. Demeritte
Decemeber,1977 to September 26,1997

In Loving Memory of Buffie

Her name is Shantia, but her father and I called
her Buffie. On the night of Sept.26,1997 every
mother's nightmare came true for me.You
can't believe the terror and panic that
set in as I listened to the
voice on the other end of the telephone
say the words that my child had been
shot .How can this be she was just
19 years old and my only child. She was
only walking a neighbor to the store. She
had her young life that was full of plans
ahead of her. After high school, she attended
the Art Institute of Phila. Her future
plans included going to an Art School in
New York City because she wanted to be
an Art teacher. She loved children
and animals[stuffed or alive].
She is on a very unique mural in
West Phila. located at 50th and Woodland Ave.
The mural is dedicated to the memory
of the fifteen youths whose lives were
cut short by gun violence. We were
more than mother and daughter we were
friends. She was not on beautiful on
the outside but she was beautiful
on the inside as well. On the
year anniversary of her" homegoing",
I wrote her the following letter.

To My Beloved Daughter,

Although you may no longer live here
on this earth you are always in my heart.
I love you forever. That will never
change. I am so thankful for the time
we had together. I loved watching you
grow up. I was proud of the person you
had become. You were a sensitive
caring person. You were the greatest thing
that ever happened to me. I miss you
and think of you often. You have left so
many of your family and friends with
cherished memories, but you can't hug a
memory or hear the words" I love you mom".
I know that where you are that you are
safe .Just know that you are missed and
how much you are loved.

Love,
Mommy and Dad

You are listening to The Rose