Nintendo, Calling cards, VHS, White House parties, Chez Vous, loyalty, pay phones, Boys and Girls Club, Lena Park, hooping, water jug as the piggy bank, Dance offs, The Curley, Sisterhood, scrungies, grandma drawls, loyalty, death, cluster, pool side, Tony Price and Michelle, hole in fences aka “da cut”, laughter, Nana, Nextel, turning on the light and roaches scattering, House parties, remembering telephone numbers, sleepovers, Destiny and Divine, van trips, Evetta, jokes, loyalty, blood sisters, 28 or 23 bus, basketball, side pony tails, shoot... no pony tails, picking up pennies, womanhood, strength, honesty, loyalty, togetherness. All of this is to sum up an entire book that I could be writing in reference to how  I know Jahleeka Morris. Her entire childhood she wanted something more, something better and her motivation was Destiny and Divine. We all had a story and something to work towards, but I vividly remember my Jelly Bean’s bc I saw it everyday and when I wasn’t there I remembered calling and talking about it. It wasn’t just knowing Jelly Bean... it was more immaculate, more of a treasured blessing because she was an individual who loved and put others before herself. She was fierce and unafraid. 

 We saw how the world was before social media and everything in today’s world (whatever that is). “Friend picking”, or to choose friends was sometimes of a choice. But “the struggle” was sometimes the antidote to squashing a lot of battles, disagreements, or even making friends. It was understood that If we were to struggle we were going to make the best of it. To be quite frank, I didn’t even know we were struggling. I just thought that’s what the world gave us and we just had to figure it out. How to get out. Not until later down the line I learned that the world had more to offer. Jelly saw more and she worked her way for a particular way she wanted to live the rest of her life. Her vision. 

It’s different when you have everything in front of you. You just may not need anything, or anyone. However, when you have nothing and struggling the same way people around you are struggling, there is a conscious agreement that you look out for those that look out for you. Jelly did that with everyone without a second guess. 

Jahleeka Morris had a vision, a contagious personality, wisdom unknown to people at our age at the time, but more importantly, she had a heart of gold. I am honored, not just because I am a friend, I am honored because I was in the presence of a person who wanted better for others before herself. Watching her do for her family and contributing laughter, memorable moments, pushing through tough times, and doing so under no madness, or anger but with the vision of knowing it needed to be done. Not discrediting other members of the family, but to see such a young person work as hard made me want the same. More importantly, I questioned who was doing it for her. I wanted to help Jelly with her vision. All in one, she taught me what it was to be strong, to feel alone and to be okay with it, to not trust everything but to trust the path chosen. I am forever in debt to this woman because she taught me how to love and SURVIVE. I wasn’t good with making friends but I was ok with that because I had my Jelly Bean. We aren’t given any directions, google map, advice, or any sense of “how”. We are always told, “You gotta just push through.” At eleven, or twelve years old, what does that mean? I was sent a Warrior in disguise. A Warrior by definition is a brave or experiences soldier or fighter. At the time, Jelly was none of these. She built herself to be this. I could go on and write about destiny moments, which is why Jelly wanted to kill me when writing this in the first place. Not for nothing, but I found myself writing about moments and tears running down my face because I still ask, HOW THE FUDGE DID WE GET OUT!?!? So I had to cut down my Jelly Bean Book and focus on who Jelly was/is to me. 

This is how I came to knowing Jah. For those of you that met Jelly when she decided to leave me in Boston... lol. Kidding :-) You all share another chapter that I haven’t even scratched the surface of knowing. From times I have shared with you all in that next chapter, I see the love, loyalty, friendship, laughter, strength, and motherhood. From this, I know she changed. She changed into a stronger woman and you got to embrace the outbreak of a true survivor. More excitingly, now a mother to my BrightLight (JoyJoy) and a soon to be wife to an amazing person. An amazing person I consider a brother from another mother. TJAAAAAAAYYYY! We always know how to start the party meng! I missed out on a few chapters but I am incredibly happy to be apart of this one. 

 To you JAH, my Jelly Bean, my sister, my Warrior, I love you and wish you even more happiness than you’ve already created because you deserve it.