I took this picture 2 years ago at Christmas and it has remained one of my favorites of Maria and Ariana. My friend is gone, She was killed in a head on collision Monday morning on her way to work. She leaves behind her devastated daughter and a multitude of friends who will miss her with a pain that is palpable.
Maria and Michael moved into our neighborhood over 20 years ago. I really didn't connect with her immediately as they were starting their office in Churchpoint and worked from dawn to dusk and I worked 12 hour shift so we missed each other. I actually do not remember when we became friends but I remember she was pregnant with Ariana and I had a baby shower for her. I first saw Ariana when they brought her home from the hospital. She had a mass of curls and the most beautiful skin. Maria was besotted with her from the beginning. She always had her baby dressed in beautiful outfits and we would put her in her stroller and walk the neighborhood with her. Ariana only had her mom for 17 years and that just wasn't enough. Maria continued to work in their office but her primary focus was her daughter. She made sure as Ariana grew up that she had adventures and exposure to the arts, music and education. She became a scout leader and was a blessing to all her charges. Ariana loved all things Disney and they made multiple trips a year, until recently, to DisneyWorld. December 2019 she accompanied me, my son and his children to Disney. She planned the entire trip to maximum exposure for the kids to have fun. She again accompanied me, my daughter and her family in February 2020. It was always about the children. She had an enormous soft spot for children. It was her superpower. She passed that on to Ariana. When I would have all five of my grands on an outing Maria and Ariana would frequently accompany us. Thank God. When I was about to pull my hair out she would quietly talk to them and they listened. My grands are devastated at the senseless death of their Ms. Maria. They are equally worried about Ariana who doesn't have a mommy now.
I am blessed with about 5 ride or die friends. Maria was one of that small group. My friends loved her. Jill and Ruthie are as devastated as we all are at her death. I usually talked with her at least twice a day. She called me in the morning and I called her at night on my way home from work. We often touched bases several other times during the day. We always ended the called with an I love you. I always end my calls to my friends with that... it has become important to me especially as I get older to let my friends know that they are really loved. She spent every Christmas with us for the past few years and took joy in seeing my grands open presents. Again it was all about the children.
She was an animal lover. We had a huge population of feral cats in our neighborhood and she took it upon herself to trap 36 of them, transport them to a group that neuters and spays at a reduced cost. The hitch was that she had to take them all back. She fed them, and in the winter set up heating lamps on her front porch so they were warm. Ariana inherited her mom's love for animals and has added on to their collection with Geese and chickens. They are owners of Cookie the German Shepard and Sugar the Great Pyrenees. They also have the ankle biter Eddie. My grands named the chickens. She was a good pet mama. She would frequently be at the vets for sick cats that were outside. She could not stand to see an animal suffer.
Maria made it her mission to get me to be fiscally responsible. When I found myself upended in debt with seemingly no hope she made it possible to me to see a light at the end of the tunnel and spent hours making a ledger of what I needed to pay when. I am still a spendthrift but learned to call her first when I wanted to make a big purchase(anything over 50$) and we would discuss it. I bowed to her decisions almost every time. The times that I didn't I regretted the purchase.
Her parents are still living. Her mother, also named Maria, has a form of dementia. Her father Juan had to put Maria in a wonderful home with less than 10 people in it for care. He visits her every week. Making a 1.5 hour drive. He then stays in St. Petersburg so that he can see her for several days before he goes back home. Maria had just visited them less than a month ago. She has a sister Anna from New York who I believe is a teacher. She also leaves behind another "daughter" Jessy Hargis. Jessy is such an important part of Maria and Ariana. She is here with Ariana now and is grieving the loss of her "mommy" as much as Ariana.
I never heard Maria say a negative word about anyone. In one of our frequent talks she dropped the F bomb. I was stunned speechless. Then I started to laugh until tears were rolling down my face. She said to me its not FUNNY. That made me laugh harder. Then we both were laughing.
She was a Christian as is Ariana. She believed sincerely in the power of prayer, Her daughter is the same. Ariana takes her faith seriously and has not wavered even with the accident. She knows she is in Heaven and her faith gifts her with the knowledge that she will see her mama again.
Maria was so proud of Ariana who has been accepted into LSU in the fall. She wants to become a vet. The night before the accident we all had dinner at my house with my sister Patti. Maria was talking about her garden that in her "spare" time she wanted to get in. She talked about Ariana's future endeavors at LSU. She would look at her daughter with such love. It was inspiring how she molded this child into the young woman she is today. Arianna was her greatest gift and she did everything she could to get her the experiences that she will need to carry on without her.
I am grateful Maria that you were my friend. I looked last night with Ariana at the posts on your FB wall and we were both in tears. You were such a friend, a light, a joy to all those you came in contact with. We all are grieving our collective loss, the absence of a friend who never judged, who put us first before herself, who loved totally without reservation and the one who often hid her own pain. Ariana said it best light night. My mom is at peace. She is with Jesus and I know she is happy.
I will miss you till my time is done on this earth and then gratefully will see you again. We will guard and protect your baby. We will celebrate her successes and help to support here when she falls. It's a privilege to be part of her life.
God speed my dear, dear friend. I love you
