Earlier this spring, while attending a memorial ceremony for fallen local soldiers, I heard one gold star mother say, “If my son were still alive, I would be a grandmother by now.” Her deep grief spoke of yesterday’s sorrow. As I listened to her heartache, the initial creative seeds for the Cut Short veterans memorial…
Jetta’s Story One of my Congolese friends, whom I’ll call Jetta, is a true woman of courage. Her story, as well as the stories of several other refugees, inspired my work called Courage Ablaze. This vignette tells part of her amazing story of courage in the face of life-threatening situations: Jetta and her children fled…
Tammy’s Story Survivors often begin to experience healing when they finally acknowledge the sexual abuse. Over time, some even reach the point when they can let go of the guilt and shame. These first bold steps often end up sparking hope. This inspirational story occurred at The Scarlet Cord exhibit: While I was raising awareness…
Army Spc. Eric T. Burri’s Story Do life’s challenges make heroes or reveal heroes? Army Spc. Eric Burri was killed while serving in Iraq, but his parents, John and Joanne Burri, kept his memory alive by rallying an entire Midwest community to help Iraqi children. Eric’s life and his parents’ example of how to turn…
Whitney’s Story The butterfly effect, an alternative scientific theory, challenges us to consider that every tiny action could have a large effect. The smallest deed or word–positive or negative–has the potential to change the course of an individual’s life. Whitney’s story demonstrates how to turn heartache into an opportunity for hope: Whitney, a bullied Michigan…
A Daughter’s Story More than one hundred participants submitted “Let Go” sentences to be collaged onto my ArtPrize Nine painting. But one woman caught my attention when she wrote this statement: “Mom, I’m letting go of my expectations of what our relationship should look like. I forgive you for the pain you caused, and I…