Your voice, your voice....during many tough years of my life, when I was dealing with both internal and external problems, I would listen to your audiobooks in the car, read by you, the author.
I would drive around, trying to think, trying to heal, trying to find my way out of a variety of messes, with you as company. Your words flowed over me, resonating in my very soul, soothing me, strengthening me, and guiding me.
When I put on your audiobooks, I was reassured that I was ok, and that Everything. Would. Be. Ok. In fact, we'd get through it together.
Indeed, you were an activist, on the world stage, on theater stages, on the shelves of libraries and bookstores, and on the silver screen.
But to me, you were my Godmother.
I saw you in person when you spoke at Bergen Community College in the spring of 2004. When you walked to the stage, dressed in an elegant, soft blue-grey gown, my tears just started flowing. There you were. Maya. A real person, in person. It was one of the best days of my life. I will never forget it.
I read your books many times, underlining passages, making notes. In the most fragile of times, I would keep one of your books in my bag, for strength in weak moments.
We have lost a great national treasure, a great writer, a great person. But I know I am not alone in saying that I have lost my Godmother. You touched thousands in the exact same way....or maybe in thousands of different ways.
You are with the Angels now. You always said that you could not even consider calling yourself a Christian until your life is done. Well rest assured, Maya, that you walked more like Jesus than most of us could even dream of, and spread love and light and rainbows
everywhere you went. Mission accomplished.
Goodbye, sweet Godmother, and though you are gone, you will always live in my heart through your words, your voice, and my gratitude for helping to save me and many others. You will forever be a shining star.
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