Waves of Grief and Waves of Kindness
Dear friends and family,
From the depths of our hearts, we want to express our deepest gratitude for the outpouring of love and support we've received during this difficult time. Your kind words, shared memories, and thoughtful gestures have been a source of immense comfort and strength as we struggle with the tsunami of emotions that leave us (at times) overwhelmed.
We were particularly touched by your generosity in honoring Maisa's memory with gifts to the Speedy Foundation, others donated living tree tributes, and we have had many kind letters where someone adopted the message in Maisa’s tribute (linked below).
Maisa's Tribute Speech
We have received letters where people have reached out to someone they know is struggling, had a real conversation about suicide with a loved one, or just have performed a random act of kindness. There is the saying that tiny ripples make waves. It is impossible to know what tiny act of connection may change the trajectory of a life, but it is nice to see us try to control the controllables and make a positive impact toward connection. By choosing to offer this meaningful tribute in lieu of flowers, you have not only celebrated Maisa's life but also ignited a ripple effect of hope and change that likely would have left Maisa surprised and touched. There is new love and life in the world thanks to the gifts we give to ourselves and others.
Maisa wanted a better world, which included more kindness and connection. The Speedy Foundation shares the belief that education and connection are essential to ensuring mental wellness and reducing the number of suicide deaths. Your contributions in Maisa’s honor have already helped provide additional education and programming in our community. Thank you. We are deeply touched that due to your generosity, the Speedy Foundation was able to raise over $6,000 to further their mission.
How to Save a Life
Mental health and suicide prevention is not an individual issue, it is a societal issue. Our personal journey has made us acutely aware that to prevent some suicides we need to first, understand what is causing it. We need to support scientific research on the brain and suicidality. We need to educate ourselves about those at higher risk. We will need to make changes to ourselves, our institutions and our preconceived conception that we should strive for what Maisa often frustratingly referred to as “societal norms.” There is a staggering amount of education and change that will be needed to support our society members that are wired a little differently, neurodivergent, and lost. How do we spawn connection and reverse the feeling so many have of being ostracized just because their brains process information differently? It is for these reasons that we are announcing that we have started our own Donor Advised Fund, Maisa Space. Maisa Space will support those nonprofit endeavors that try to create connection, acceptance of neurodiversity, and spaces that are comfortable for our wired differently youth. We will announce more about Maisa Space in a forthcoming post.
Words cannot fully express the gratitude we feel for your thoughtfulness and generosity. You have truly touched our lives in a profound way, and we will forever cherish the memory of your acts of kindness while simultaneously grappling with our soul crushing loss of Maisa.
With heartfelt thanks,
James, Samia, Maisa and the boys