Chiara.

I was nine years old when my friend Chiara Wysong Howard passed away during the summer of 2008. Chiara drowned in Lake Michigan at Grand Haven State Park while trying to rescue her sister from a rip current. Chiara also saved three other lives through organ donation giving them a second chance at life. 

At Chiara’s funeral, Norway Spruce trees were given out to plant in her memory. The minute I got home, I went outside and planted the gracious gift in my yard, feeling as though it was the only piece of her that I had left. That was who Chiara was; even though she was gone from this world, she was still giving. Now, every time I look at the tree, I feel as though her spirit is with me, guiding me to where I am supposed to be. 

My collection is dedicated to Chiara Wysong Howard, who was taken from the world too soon, but her spirit continues to live on in nature.