Friday, June 25, 2010

I remember Quby

Yes, I know Quby.

I’ll point her out the next time we see her.

She sang in the church choir with my wife.

I was one of her teachers when she was in high school.

You remember high school.

It’s the place teachers tell you to sit down, be quiet, put away your ipods and phones, and do work.

Qubaniece wasn’t like that in high school.

She wasn’t one of the good kids that we tend to forget is in the room.

Everyone knew when she was in the room.

Everyone noticed when she was absent.

Everyone at her memorial was there because we noticed she was absent.


I used to tease her that I was going to tell her foster mother how loud she is in school when I see them at church. Quby wasn’t worry. She knew my wife wouldn’t let me.

My wife says that church is a sanctuary. We have more important things to talk about than the stuff that happens in school.

My wife is right. She usually is.

We have more important things to talk about; like God’s Grace, God’s Love and God’s Acceptance.

Especially now that Qubaniece is with Jesus.


I’m sure Jesus doesn’t want to talk about the stuff that happened in this life.

There are more important things to talk about, like His Grace, His Love, and His Acceptance.

Qubaniece wasn’t perfect but she loved Jesus.

Shouldn’t that be the message in our lives?

The next teacher referral I write on Qubaniece will be in heaven. I’m sure they have rules against flying too fast and for being too loud in the hallways.

And, of course, Qubaniece would be the one doing that.

Yes, she would be that one.


Qubaniece Velasquez Miller was shot and killed in Los Angeles. She was 19 years old.

Don’t wait until you are a good kid to know Jesus. It doesn’t work that way. Jesus loves you now.


I wrote this soon after her funeral. I came across it today while organizing my stuff in the garage. It’s not a poem. It’s not a eulogy. I don’t know what it is, but I had to write it. Now I have to publish it.

Qubaniece Velasquez Miller: July 29, 1989 – January 15, 2009


Please visit me at Facebook: Carlos Mendoza

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2 comments:

Unknown said...

I really love what you wrote about Quby. As an educator, you want to believe that you touch the lives of your students; the truth is that they have the ability to impact your life as well.
I have several Qubies, whose lives ended needlessly.

Jerrick never finished his freshman year in high school. He was on a quad and tried to race a car to croos a road, he lost.

Carol, was 16 when her parents allowed her to "sleep over" a friends house. They went to a party and it was the first (and last) time she drank alcohol. The next morning, when her mother came to pick her up, she did not wake up. She had died of asphyxiation during the early morning hours.

Carlos, thank you for sharing. You are right about not needing to be a good kid before Jesus will love us. He loves us now.

July 27, 2010 at 3:03 PM
Unknown said...

QB was my beloved cousin and friend ...we were really close and spent so much time together from the moment we met...Im up at 3:21 am because im still not able to fully rest knowing that her killer(s) were never found. It was traumatic seeing her covered in places in her casket due to her many gun shots and all I could think is who would hurt you like this ? Why ? She never got to have children or grow up ...shes forever 19 and forever in my heart. I pray God will put a heavy heart on her killer(s) to finally come forward with an answer for her family so we can have closure ....I LOVE YOU QB and you are still much alive in me I NEVER FORGOT YOU QB love Aj

August 31, 2019 at 3:26 AM

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