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| Tanna Wright is pictured with Adrian Mora (L) and Jovan Mora (R) at the Wright’s home in Winona Lake. Wright will run in the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon May 3 in Indianapolis in memory of Lisa Mora. Photo by Daniel Riordan, Times-Union |
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Winona Lake Woman To Run Mini-Marathon In Honor Of Lisa Mora
Daniel Riordan
Times-Union Staff Writer
When Tanna Wright runs, she never does so alone.
When she runs, she prays to God.
When she runs, she remembers a friend gone too soon.
Wright and Lisa Mora's friendship began as many friendships do - through their children.
Wright's oldest son, Noah, and Mora's oldest son, Jovan, both now 8, became friends at Warsaw Christian School.
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Mickelson, Wright's second child, and Adrian, Mora's youngest, also are friends.
The two women also forged a bond through their community Bible study at Winona Lake Grace Brethren Church.
Wright said Mora was quiet and very private, but open about her love for her two children.
"She was a dedicated, devoted and loving mother," said Wright, recalling Mora also had Adrian "on her hip".
Wright and Mora spent a lot of time together. Watching their children play sports, going to movies and even doing pottery together.
Over time the women formed a close bond.
Wright is admittedly outgoing and said she "wore down" the more reserved and quiet Mora into being friends with her.
Everything changed May 23, 2007, when Mora's life was cut short at the age of 32. Her husband, Omar Mora is being sought in her death but hasn't been seen since that day.
Those were tough days for those who loved Lisa. And there are still tough days.
Her family, parents Bill and Linda Bowdler and two sisters, Jeannine and Sherry, grieved.
Very private people themselves, they clung to their faith to guide them.
But after the fog of tragedy lifted there were two little boys. Two little boys who in one afternoon lost both their parents.
What came from the incident was a strengthening of faith and the birth of a new family, no matter how tragic the circumstances.
Bill and Linda have primary care responsiblity for Jovan and Adrian. The boys have aunts and uncles on both sides of their family there for them. Wright along with her husband Bo have created another place for the boys to feel safe and loved at their Winona Lake home.
These are places where they are free to be children, but places to remember a devoted mother.
The boys are both active in school activities along with sports.
Wright said a strengthened faith in God has allowed everyone effected by the events of May 23, 2007 to cope.
With a stronger faith in God, Wright runs. And on May 3 at 7:30 a.m. she will run in the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon with thousands of other runners.
Wright said she runs to help keep Lisa's memory alive. Wright's IPod, which she listens to when she runs, is full of songs that remind her of Lisa.
"There can be something that comes out of tragedy," said Wright. "We may not understand it and that's ok. We learn to love, forgive and serve. That's the most important thing is to serve God."
So Wright will run the 13.1-mile race with her friend there in spirit.
She will also be cheered on by Jovan and her son Noah. Along with Lisa's mother and sisters.
It will serve as the beginning of a month that will hold a lot of significance for everyone who knew Lisa.
Lisa would have been 33 on May 5.
She would have celebrated Mother's Day six days later and would have watched Adrian turn 3. Omar's birthday was also in May and it will also be the one-year anniversary of Lisa's death.
Wright credits the strength and "steadfast" determination of Lisa's parents to raise Jovan and Adrian as a way the family has gotten by.
With the best interest of Jovan and Adrian in mind, Omar's brother Rudy, from Goshen, along with his wife have been a part of the children's lives.
Wright recalls Easter of this year, as the Bowdler's invited her family over for Easter dinner.
There sat the Bowdlers, the Wrights, Jovan and Adrian and members of the Mora family together.
Wright recalled their wasn't a dry eye at the table as they all prayed.
Despite the turbulence of the past year, at that dinner table Easter Sunday, sat a family. Perhaps a family fractured, but a family none the less.
"That's when he uses you," said Wright. "God uses wounded soldier in his service."
Warsaw Christian School holds a service for its students every Friday.
One of those Fridays they were singing "How Great Is Our God", according to Wright, Jovan's favorite hymn.
As the song went on, Jovan's voice rose above all others, "Age to age he stands, time is in his hands, the beginning and the end."
"He was just belting this song," said Wright.
Wright began crying as did many of the teachers and other parents at the service.
Many tears have been shed by everyone who knew Lisa.
But those tears, if only for a moment, were drowned out by the voice of a an eight-year old boy singing a simple refrain over and over "times is in his hands, the beginning and the end."
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