Jackie’s Tribute
As Maya’s cousin, I am profoundly grateful for the opportunity to have known, grown up with, and loved her. She really did teach me a lot in the short 21 years we spent together.
Since we were kids, Maya’s authenticity and pride in who she was was admirable. It stuck out to me first at the ripe age of 10 as we faced our first summers at sleep away camp together- coincidentally, a time when most young girls are uncertain and insecure. Not Maya. Throughout those weeks, Maya’s confidence in everything she did was on display and made a lasting and empowering impression on me. She modeled what it meant to be true to oneself and not care one bit about what anyone had to say. She had a way of making those around her feel safe to be themselves and taught me to do exactly that even when she wasn’t by my side.
In addition to this, Maya had an extraordinary gift of finding joy in every moment, no matter the setting… Passover seders included. She brought this quite literally wherever she went. Earlier, this meant stunting in the hallways of our homes and spotting each other on gymnastics skills, taking funny photos on the photo booth app on our moms’ desktops, making s’mores on the stovetop, and having handstand competitions in the pool. As we grew older, this never waned as she’d always be encouraging me to “do it for the plot,” urging me to embrace spontaneity, let loose, and have a good time. Together, this meant finding spots for piña coladas served in pineapples, eating as much sushi as we could fit in our stomachs, enjoying drinks together, and baking in the sun on family holidays. She taught me to step out of my comfort zone, a place of immense rigidity, and into a space filled with ridiculous and made up words, jello shots, and nothing but pure and utter fun.
Most of all, Maya demonstrated resilience far beyond her years, especially in regard to her allergies. Our shared experiences with allergies and the stress that comes with them forged a special bond between us. Our Tik Tok and Instagram DMs were filled with safe recipe ideas for one another and our family gatherings were laced with discussions about what we’ve been cooking lately and any new allergy-aware restaurant recommendations. Anything and everything to make our experiences eating easier. This fostered a unique bond, one of immense support and empathy for one another. Maya taught me how to have difficult conversations with wait staff and chefs, how to not get down when I couldn’t eat what my friends were eating, and show up to every meal with flexibility.
Maya, you taught me a whole lot in the time we spent together and because of this, I think of you in everything I do. I strive to carry the same confidence you encouraged me to have when strutting down Bunk 3 in our age group’s fashion show and I hope to show up in my day to day life with the enthusiasm and fun you brought everywhere you went. I will miss you forever.
