This weekend we carried a special portrait to our newest exhibit at The Shops at Chestnut Hill. Our friend Susie passed over the weekend after a brief illness, so it was only fitting to display her and her story after a life filled with terrible losses and tremendous joys.

When I first wrote about my depression, Susie was one of the first to say, “You’re not alone,” and shared with me her depression recovery. When I came up with the idea for I Am More she enthusiastically agreed to participate. She had the idea of having her portrait in the garden with one of their chickens, but on the day I arrived to take the reference photos, she said, “We’re going to have to come up with something different because Bob pointed out the the chickens are more of his thing, not mine.” I was bummed, but it was not my place to get in the middle of it. We walked around the garden looking at different ideas, and she suddenly stopped and turned to me. “I’m going to get the chicken.” She quickly slipped into the chicken coop, emerged with this beauty, and I took photos as fast as I could, while she looked pleased with her rebelliousness.

Susie was at the opening reception for the very first I Am More exhibit in 2018, and I watched her animatedly talk with her friends and admirers. Who would have thought she was on display because she had survived unimaginable turmoil in her lifetime? Now she was a thriving artist, teacher, musician, gardener, and loving partner…and I didn’t even know the half of it, after reading her obituary.

We’re grateful for the time we had with her, sharing her cooking in their garden surrounded by the flowers, the goldfish pond, the hummingbirds, her art studio, and the beautiful life she created with her partner, Bob. If you haven’t had a chance you can read her essay here.

You can see Susie’s portrait and 18 more at The Shops at Chestnut Hill for the month of July.