The butterfly. my inspiration.
I have always associated butterflies with my Grannie Joan.
When I was a little girl, she would bring me branches holding chrysalises from her walks on the prairie path.
I remember staring at the branches in their mason jars, waiting for the moment the butterfly emerged.
It was such an incredible honor to spend last week alongside my entire family, as we surrounded my sweet Gran with all our love and care. Always one to walk her authentic path, radiating love and just a hint of mischief, she faced this final - at times difficult - journey with courage and grace. I picture her emerging as the most beautiful of butterflies when she left us Sunday morning.
A lifelong educator, a voracious reader, a builder of sandcastles and a collector of beach glass, an activist and model of civic engagement, a feminist, a friend to so very many and a beloved family member to us lucky few… my Gran was simply magical.
She was a driver of change and a force for good. She used her voice and whatever privilege and position of power she had at any given moment to amplify and advocate for others. She set a high bar for personal accountability and was a role model to many, myself included, throughout the course of her life.
She adored my husband (and the feeling was mutual!) and I will be forever grateful for the years my children have had loving and being loved by her. She supported me always, told me how much she loved me and how proud she was of me every time we spoke, she inspired and championed me, and I will forever hold her in my heart, in my mind and in my actions.