Mariah Kochavi – Memorial Contributions
January 3, 2010
Mariah loved, cared for, and saved many animals. She especially loved horses and horseback riding. As a young girl and a teen, she spent many a pleasant summer day with the wonderful horses and people at Little Brook Farm in Old Chatham, NY.
The farm was founded in 1977 by Lynn Cross to house and care for horses and other animals that were rescued from neglect, abuse, or danger of destruction. In 1986, Lynn established a non-profit program called “Balanced Innovative Teaching Strategies”, or B.I.T.S., a therapeutic riding program for the benefit of children and adults with physical and/or developmental challenges.
Today there are over 60 rescued horses at the farm. In addition to Lynn Cross, there are 8 full time volunteers. You can learn more about the farm and B.I.T.S. at the farm’s website at http://littlebrookfarm.org. (Lynn apologizes that the site is out of date. She apparently spends more time rescuing and rehabilitating horses and generously helping people in need than keeping her electronic house in order.) And visit http://www.timesunion.com/ASPStories/story.asp?StoryID=865915 to view a recent article in the Albany, NY, Times Union about the farm’s involvement in a program to link needy children with adoptive parents.
If you would like to contribute to a worthy cause in Mariah’s name, we ask that you consider making a tax-deductible donation to B.I.T.S.. There is a page on the website for making online donations, but Lynn says there are problems with that, so please send checks only. Gifts will be used for general operations.
Make your check payable to Balanced Innovative Teaching Strategies, Inc. and mail it to:
Little Brook Farm – B.I.T.S. Program
PO Box 127
548 County Route 13
Old Chatham, NY 12136
Be sure to clearly indicate on your check that it’s in memory of Mariah Kochavi, and please include your name and address so your gift can be acknowledged.
– Mark
Mariah's Reemergence 
Dear Mark, dear loved ones:
My heart breaks with the sad news of Mariah’s passing. I know she is now at peace, and I know how much she is, and was, loved by you and by so many faces she never knew.
I hold you in my heart and offer these words of Rabindranath Tagore in remembrance:
Peace, my heart, let the time for the parting be sweet.
Let it not be a death but completeness.
Let love melt into memory and pain into songs.
Let the flight through the sky end in the folding of the wings over the nest.
Let the last touch of your hands be gentle like the flower of the night.
Stand still, O Beautiful End, for a moment, and say your last words in silence.
I bow to you and hold up my lamp to light you on your way.
Dear Mark,
I don’t know of any words that could possibly lessen the sadness and grief of losing your dear, beloved Mariah. Just want you to know that I am holding you and her in my thought and heart. I hear how you describe Mariah’s sense of adventure and passion for life and I think of my own daughter and how utterly devasted I would be in such a thing happened to her. Take care. Ian
Words cannot begin to express my deep sadness for you and your family. Mariah was a beautiful and talented child, and certainly a daughter to be so very proud of. Please know that all of you are in my thoughts and prayers.
It is the will of God and Nature that these mortal bodies be laid aside, when the soul is to enter into real life; ’tis rather an embrio state, a preparation for living; a man is not completely born until he be dead: Why then should we grieve that a new child is born among the immortals? ~Benjamin Franklin, 22 February 1756
Mark – please know that I am profoundly sorry for your loss and that I will hold you and your family in my heart in the days and weeks ahead. Reading some of the entries in your blog has given me a sense of how wonderful your daughter was and how hard she struggled to recover from her illness. With all good wishes, Nancy
I enjoyed being Mariah’s friend for a brief moment in time. Whenever she was around the room lit up with her smile. I am sad that her beaming face will not greet me at the pool on Tuesdays where I enjoyed helping her begin learning how to roll a kayak. On Thursdays I usually spent the morning riding horses with her followed by a paddle on the river in the evening. I am inspired by the strength and love that surrounds her in passing. My heart goes out to her family and friends. Such a spark of life, with so much left to give, has returned to the heavenly realm from which she was born. She is truly missed by the entire Team River Runner gang! Peace be with you Mariah and all.
Dear Mark and family,
I have followed Mariah’s “reemergence” during the past year and have always been moved and inspired by the depth of love and committment your family and Mariah have had for one another. This spirit is powerfully present in your grieving and I trust that it will hold and comfort you in the months to come. Mariah was blessed with a wonderful circle of friends and family, and it is clear that she also blessed those who knew her, even those like myself who may not have had the joy of knowing her in person. Thank you for sharing her story and her light. Blessings to you all.
Dear Mark,
I am heartbroken to learn of Mariah’s passing. I hope you can feel the love of your many friends surrounding you, and that it offers comfort and support to you during this sorrowful time.
I’m glad BCM gave me the recent chance to tell you how inspired I have been by your love for Mariah, by your strength, and spiritual courage. I’ve been thinking of a short Hafiz poem since first hearing this news; not one I would typically offer at such a time, but it keeps coming up for me now:
Even
After
All this time
The sun never says to the earth,
“You owe
Me.”
Look
What happens
With a love like that,
It lights the
Whole
Sky.
Love,
Cilla
[…] make a charitable donation in Mariah’s name, consider contributing to Little Brook Farm. See https://mariahsreemergence.com/2010/01/03/mariah-kochavi-memorial-contributions/ for instructions on how to do […]