No Black Allowed - Only Brights and Bow Ties

At Maura's Funeral it was decided that there would be no black - only bright colors. And all of the guys we could get in touch with, we asked to wear bright bow ties - even my little bits had handmade ones created by a dear friend Haley Nejam!

Childhood Innocence

After Maura Anne's graveside service, we all congregated at our little brother John David's grave. (Since he died as a baby, he is in a specific area, underneath a big oak tree and next to a lake, that is dubbed 'BabyLand.' Bad name, but a calming, comforting area.) While we were there, my kiddos realized that there were sticks and a lake and decided to have fun. Uncle JoJo joined them and watched to make sure they did not try to swim!

As I sat there watching, it brought me back to John David's graveside service, 11yrs, 1mth, and 22days prior, where JoJo, wearing overalls and rainboots, did the same thing...

Maura's Obituary

Maura Anne Gray-Lewis

Jackson

Maura Anna Gray-Lewis, 21, died Tuesday, January 29, 2013. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m. Saturday at St. Richard Catholic Church with burial following in Lakewood Memorial Park South. Visitation will begin at 9:00 a.m. Saturday at the church.

"Choose the Love You Chose" Poor Clares, Belleville, IL.

It is with reluctant but confident hearts that we offer back to the Father and His beloved Mother, our daughter Maura Anne. Maura was entrusted to us for 21 years and we have attempted to lover her fully. She in turn has loved us completely. Our faith teaches that the gift of life and love often comes in a "fragile earthen vessel" and such was the case with this precious red head.

Maura, now dance with you brother with the music as loud as Heaven will permit. Wait for us impatiently, we are en route.

Love, Mama, Papa, Ra- Ra, Sissy, LaLa, Paul, Jojo, Moo Moo, Michael and those wonderful "in loves."

Love gifts to Hudspeth Center, Pearl or to St. Richard Catholic Church.

Published in Clarion Ledger on February 1, 2013

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Many of you know, Maura Anne Gray-Lewis went to be with our Heavenly Father, Blessed Mother, her little brother, and all that went before her 1 week ago today - She was 21yrs, 5mths, and 16 days old...

Moments before, I spoke to her on the phone. The kids spoke to her on the phone. She was laughing. Talking. Snorting. Blowing raspberries. Dancing. The Maura that we had not seen in weeks was back....

All of our prayer requests from the night prior were answered. There was talk of moving her to a floor. She was doing better - much, much better. So much so, that I just posted this on facebook:

Miracles are happening as we speak! *Maura's drains have slowed, allowing the docs to cancel her HIDA Scan and order an ultrasound!
*A central line was placed last night, but the goal is to put in another PICC Line today!
* When my siblings went up to the SICU for visiting hours, they were shocked to hear the nurse and Miss Maura 'fighting'!
* She is more alert and pulling off leads and her cannula!
* She is talking and dancing and doing her classic pig snort!
Now, this is all positive, but Maura is like no other, so keep the prayers coming. There are also still areas of great concern, as well as some test results that are very troublesome...
Today, we are cautiously optimistic and so very hopeful that she has turned the corner ~ All Praise to God!

I posted this in the Target parking lot. We then began the drive home. My phone rang and and it was my sister in law. Then it rang and it was Papa. I did not answer, so he called again. I was driving across an overpass when I answered. His words will haunt me forever. How I made it across that overpass and into the median, I will never know. We, the kids and I, sat in the van and sobbed. A FHP came over and moved the van farther away from the highway for me.

We made it home, packed bags, spoke to Father Amar (our parish priest), mom, and my sister in law came over. They helped load the van and we left.....