Melissa Ridge

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I was born in Salt Lake City, Utah to my mother Karen Ann Ridge, she was a single mother, born and raised in the mormon church. Although my mother did not raise my brother and I the same way, yes we went to church but most of the time we didn’t, She did not feel the same way as most of the people we went with or our family. Mark and Kip a same sex couple helped raise us when we were young. She had alot of friends that were gay or lesbian, or of different races.

Mark worked for AT@T, so he had a job that let him move around the country, So we got to go visit them, we got to see new york, and eventually we moved with them to Florida.

I learned about racism when I was in third grade. I was the only white girl in class, the kids teased, hit, punched, threw me down even The kid that sat next to me would feel me up every day. One day we had a race in my class, I won third place but boy did I regret it! After awhile of coming home black and blue I had a body guard, but I don’t remember that part. After a month of living there my mom decided it would be better to move back home to Salt Lake.

My mom decided it would be good to go back to church. I loved it because I got to see my friends. I got all my pendants and graduated from primary.

Around this time is when my mom found out she had rheumatoid arthritis. She got so bad I had to help her bathe, cook and clean. At one point they wanted her to be in a wheel chair, but she said nope I’m going to do everything I can so my kids don’t have to take care of me.

When my great grandma passed we moved to West Valley City. We lived there up until I started 10th grade. Then we moved to St Anthony, Idaho. We were going to church every so often. When I was a Senior in high school I met a handsome young man we got engaged. I honestly at this point I wanted to go to Rick’s college and get married in the temple. Before I graduated he and I broke up. I still wanted to go to college though, but that year around Christmas time my mom passed. I didn’t know what to do! Planing a funeral and trying to find out what I was going to do with life. At this point one of my friends mother talked to me more about the church and the different degrees of heaven. I was so confused! At this point I questioned the church, I even had missionarys visit. But it was to confusing and it sounded pretty stupid.

A friend of mine told me that there was a lady that needed a live in baby sitter, so I moved in with her and her kids. I stayed there until she found another job, she offered me to go with her to Alaska but I didn’t want to go that far.

So I moved back to utah with a friend. A couple years later, I met my ex husband. He and I had a son a year later, and after 7 years and three try’s later I couldn’t take the emotional abuse and after he had hit me I had to leave.

After a year of being single my brother and his girlfriend told me I should go with them to the drum circle at liberty Park in Salt Lake because they had someone they wanted me to meet. Thats when I met John Adams, I fell in love instantly he was so sweet, kind and caring. The next day he came over to help us and him go to what is called the Rainbow gathering. From then on we were inseparable.

A couple months later he told me about a symposium he wanted me to go to for the MWAW, he didn’t really tell me much about it but once I was there and met Christopher and listened to the things he had to say I couldn’t get enough, a door was opened for me that day all the questions I had, everything I thought about he talked about.

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