Maya Michelle Staples

Merilie Johnson 136w

Dear Maya

Dear beautiful, larger-than-this life Maya, I want you and your family to know that you are not forgotten, nor ever will be. Your infectious smile and spunky independence was always attracting friends and family who grew to love you. Your unique spirit gave me new eyes and a new heart, and I’m daily grateful for that. Your influence lives on, as do you ♥️

Paint

Man, seeing the photos and reading other posts brings back such a flood of emotion. Whenever I see certain animals or hear certain songs I think of her gifts and her spunk. She is always missed. Yet, I believe she is never far away.

Animal whisperer

While I was taking care of Owens animals for a few days while he was out of town, Maya came to help me. She cleaned out the rabbits cage (not an easy task) and played with her for quite awhile. She then took time to give extra love to each of the family pets. It was so heartwarming to me to see how much love she had for each animal and the kindness she showed to them. Maya has a gift with animals, a spiritual connection to them, and I truly believe she’s in heaven loving all the animals there, including her sweet dog Lily who had gone before her. I think of you often Maya ❤️

The World According to Maya

Maya needed more years to grow into the big attitude and strong opinions she had. She was a force to be reckoned with. She was a thinker. She lived by a code. Given more time, she could have been a powerful influence and successful, wonderful human being. In the precious few moments i spent alone with her, I learned a few things: Be true to yourself. Tell it like it is. People will learn to deal with it. Dont back down from a fight if you are right. No religion "owns" morality. Individuals should figure out what moral behavior is and stand accountable for it. Blind obedience does not equate to moral behavior. Be kind to outcasts, and dont treat them like your friendship is charity. The list goes on and I'll add to it as I remember more awesome Maya lessons. One thing I learned from losing her is: We have the luxury of knowing when something is the first time. But we do not know when something is the last time. Live accordingly and relish EVERY time.