Maris's Birthday 2011

We were grateful to receive visits from Maris's friends in honor of his birthday.


Every year, there was a sleepover for Maris's friends.  They did wild and crazy things all night, and it was always a lot of fun.

Friends from Gordon Tech visited on Saturday, November 12--Lukasz, Brian, and Jeff:

 and Peter and Elizabeth, friends from Newberry visited on his actual birthday, November 16

  Thank you so much for being the most special friends in the world.

16 November 2011

Maris was born 24 years ago today at Columbus Hospital in Chicago.  I had been in the hospital on and off for days...weeks.  the doctor had been trying to stop premature labor since the 20th week of pregnancy.  I was so afraid. 

Maris was so premature, he turned out to be a Scorpio rather than a Pisces.

I am sending love and gratitude to his friends, and to everyone who loved him. You brought joy to his life, and are very special to us.

We are so grateful to know you through Maris.  Thank you for being part of our lives.

November 16, 2010

We have been attending L.O.S.S. support group meeting s on LaSalle St. the 3rd Tuesday of every month.  It turned out that Maris's birthday fell on this particular Tuesday.  I was grateful we had an opportunity to be with people who would understand on this special day.  We brought a birthday cake to the meeting, and asked the people to gather round the cake.  We gave each person a candle,. and asked them to make a wish and light the candle for Maris and add it to the cake.

2010 Birthday Party

Thank you so much to Peter, who got the ball rolling with Maris's birthday celebration.

Maris's annual birthday party was an event everyone looked forward to. There were a few years where it was not so well attanded...such as the year we had the party at a bowling alley on Western Ave....but most years it was a lot of fun.

It is hard NOT doing a party for Maris. Last year Ray and i felt so burned out by the time we got back from Hawaii on November 8 that we could not seem to make the mental effort required to pick up the phone or send a few emails to organize it. And it did not feel right. We realized we had let Maris down, we had let his friends down, and we had let ourselves down. It was not good. and it will not happen again.

This year, Maris's birthday celebration took place on November 14, the Sunday Before his birthday.

We ordered a stadium size pizza, bought some raw veggies to snack on, and a tiramisu birthday cake. We were not sure who would be there besides Peter, who was rounding people up, and Jeff, who said he would be there.

We were awed and amazed at everyone who came.

Sorry, guys, there will be more and better food next year.

Everyone lit a birthday candle for Maris and added it to the cake. Then we sang, made a wish or said a prayer dor Maris, and blew out the candles.

We visited for a while, and set off firecrackers.

I took pictures, which i will upload soon.

I do not want to leave anyone out, so i will not depend on my faulty memory for the names. I will check the list later, and be able to thank everyone by name. But I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for attending. It meant so much to Ray and me to continue our connection with you. You are part of Maris, and he is part of you.

Maris had faithful friends who still think of him. He was cared about. He meant a lot to people.

He still does.

November 16

November 16, 1987 was the day Maris was born into this world and into our lives.

November 16, 2008 was Maris's 21st birthday. He came home to celebrate celebrate his birthday and Thanksgiving with us. It was such a happy time. We all had so very much to be grateful for.

November 16, 2009 was a very difficult day to get through. I chose not to go to work that day. I stayed home and cried and prayed all day. We had talked about having an annual Maris Butta Birthday Party, but Ray and I had just come back from Oahu a couple days before, and we did not think we could pull it off. It was not fair to Maris or his friends, but our strength failed us.

This year, thanks to Maris's friend Peter, we have planned for Maris's annual birthday party. It is scheduled for Sunday, November 14.

November 16, 2010 is the date of this month's LOSS meeting. I was planning to start attending the board meetings of the Glenview History Center this month; but since November 16 is the day they meet this month, I do not think I can attend. And on the 3rd Tuesday of December, I will be celebrating the Winter Solstice with our circle.

On November 16, 2010 I am instead planning to attend the LOSS meeting, and will bring a birthday cake for Maris. I will ask everyone to light a candle for him , and to make a wish or say a prayer for him.

Maybe in January 2011 I will be able to start attending the Glenview History Center meetings. January will mark the start of a new year, and perhaps it will move all these special dates into a new day of the week and start a new cycle for us.

Maris's last birthday celebration

We did not know that Maris's 21st birthday would be his last. What would we have done differently? don't know...we tried to make each one as perfect as possible, because you never know...each day may well be your last.

here are some highlights of good times with good friends and family:

Ray.s Birthday 2010

We took Ray out for his birthday on June 23, 2010. The plan was dinner at Fat Willy's BBQ Shack. As we walked out the door, tornado warning sirens sounded.

Maris used to love this kind of weather; in fact, all of us do. So we went out for dinner, and felt that the weather was a message from Maris that he was with us and having fun.

After a fabulous dinner of BBQ brisket, which brought back memories of our visit to San Antonio for Maris's graduation at Lackland, we headed home. The storm was over, and there was a huge rainbow that stretched across the entire sky.

The rainbow brought back memories of our visit to Hickam AFB in Hawaii. Again, the rainbow made us feel Maris was with us.

The storm and the rainbow were his birthday gift to Ray.