Love, Koura

Yems, our story doesn’t end here. Yes you’re not physically here anymore. Your memories, your influence, the imprint you left on me will always be here

You weren’t suppose to be my first heartbreak

When we met we instantly CLICKED!

Stayed on the phone for hours gisting or Roasting people

Even when I got married and moved to Atlanta we never missed a beat

We were suppose to share being boy moms together.

Who’s going to understand what I’m going through and know exactly what to say or what to do without me even saying a word, Who’s going to call me 12:00am on my birthday? By the way, this years birthday gift was perfect! . He’s so beautiful.

There’s so much I want to say but I can’t begin to put it all into words

I wish I could share one more laugh with you and hear that beautiful laugh of yours

I’ll celebrate all the beautiful memories we made together

It gives me solace knowing that you’re no longer in pain and that you left a part of you behind for us to pour so much love into him

I’ll always love you Yems!

Love, Linda

My beloved sister. I do not even know where to begin. We have truly lost an angel. I am so blessed and grateful that I was able to not only grow up with you but was able to watch the amazing woman you became. I remember the times you fought my battles, cut off any person who did something wrong to me, and even spent several hours on the phone helping me decide how to handle different situations in my life. When we were together, we were inseparable, joined at the hip. Some would even joke and say that we shared the same brain because if one was not ready to do something, the other would wait until the other was ready LOL. I am going to miss binge watching our favorite reality shows, laying down on the couch for hours chatting and laughing at each other’s life stories, driving around the town listening to music, sitting on Facetime walking you through your makeup techniques, washing and braiding your hair, and cooking Christmas dinner every year since we were kids. Your ability to love unconditionally, put others before yourself, motivate and encourage people to know their worth, and support those in need was truly admirable. You are a beautiful and amazing soul, daughter, sister, cousin, aunt, friend, wife, and mother who impacted the lives of those you touched in such a special way. I am so sad that you are no longer here, but I know you are here in Spirit. I love you more than words can explain, and I promise to keep your memory alive. You are the definition of a true warrior and you will be missed.

Love, Memi

Writing this tribute is no doubt the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. To say that I am devastated, only represents a fraction of what I truly feel inside. Yemisi is known as my cousin/sister/bestie, and she embodied all those roles and more. I spent the last week trying to wrap my mind around moving forward in this life without her. Yemisi was such a big part of my life and we had SO many plans. Every decision I made, I made with her. Whether it was picking a photo for me to post on IG, what to eat for lunch, which shoes I should buy or what job I should take. She was always my confidant and my sanity checker.

Since we were children, Yemisi has always been a force to be reckoned with. She had a hard-shell exterior and is known for her sharp-tongue. BUT underneath that, she was a gentle, loving teddy bear. She was someone who would go above and beyond for those she loved. The idea of seeing a loved one struggle was impossible for her because she made sure she always had the means, energy or time to lend a helping hand. It was so common to see Yemisi go out of her way to be there for her friends and family. As the little sister/baby cousin, Yemisi and Linda were always so protective of me. They would come to visit us in Baltimore and the first thing they wanted to do was see about my neighborhood bullies. And of course, Yemisi was the ringleader, because she does not play about family.

When Yemisi moved to DC for law school, she still saw me as her baby cousin and didn’t realize we could actually hang out. So, one night, she took a break from her studying and came to party with me and my friends at Morgan State. She ended up having the time of her life and the rest was history. From that point on we would get together at least once a month for a weekend of fun. I would spend the weekend at her place, and we would party the whole weekend. It got to the point where you wouldn’t see her out and about without me and vice versa. It was when I was pregnant with my son, that our friendship really matured. Even though she didn’t have a child at that point, she was there for me through everything I went through. She would stay on the phone with me every day at work via FaceTime to check on me and make sure I was ok. Not a day of my pregnancy went by where she didn’t call me, that support she showed me didn’t seem like a big deal to her but it really meant so much to me.

As our lives continued to blossom/change, we were always there for each other. If she needed a date for an event, I was there for her. If I needed someone to talk to about anything at all, she was there for me. I was able to talk to her about anything. We would roast, gist, talk about self-improvement, how to level up at work, spirituality, fashion, makeup. We could literally talk about any and everything. She was my one-stop shop. I am going to miss that so much. I’m going to miss our daily conversations, our weekend outings, our shopping trips, our vacations, sharing our hauls, the list goes on. I’m going to miss walking into a room with her and seeing how her presence shifted the energy whether it was with her sexy strut, big smile, or funny jokes. That was Yemisi.

It was an honor watching her grow into this amazing woman, she was: brilliant, confident, generous, loving, and loyal. Those are the words that I use to describe her and that’s how I will remember her. I am so proud of the woman she became. I admired her strength as she battled her illness with so much class, grace, poise, and dignity. She had every intention of beating this cancer and sharing her testimony. But God’s plan was different.

I feel like her life was just beginning. She had just successfully graduated from the newlywed phase of her marriage. She was blessed with her beautiful baby boy. She was figuring out her career. And it just seemed like her life was cut too short. But, honestly there would’ve been no good time for me to lose someone like Yemisi. I am trying to grasp the fact that, I will never understand why God does things the way that he does. The things that help me cope are that she is no longer in pain and that she left a piece of her in Edikan David Bassey, who I view as my 3rd child. I vow to ensure that her legacy will always be remembered and she will never be forgotten. She will forever live on in me and my children as well. I love and miss you so much Yemisi. I am looking forward to the day that we will meet again.