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The art of remembering!

Project: Sept 11th Stone Memorial

How are you?....Is everyone in your family OK?...
These are the conversations we were having with each other 17 years ago after the horrors of September 11th.

Stortly after 9/11, I received a call from a woman who said, “My husband was killed in the North Tower but I feel blessed because I received a body.” My mind couldn’t comprehend what she was saying...I was thinking...of course you should receive a body when your husband dies! But that was not the case for most of the families that day. I designed and carved her husbands monument and it rests over his grave.

Then a second call came to my studio from a husband who wanted to remember his wife. She was also killed in the towers. Her body was never recovered. Together we designed this stone bowl that rests in an herb garden at Historic Deerfield. The cooks garden was created in her honor and to remember her love for open hearth cooking. Thirteen herbs are hand carved on the edge. Each named so the viewer can identify the herb in the garden. Her name and a poetic verse circle round the inner rim. As we reflect and remember where we were 17 years ago ...

Let us continue to ask each other these questions ...How are you? How is your family? Then pause and truly listen.

With Gratitude,
Karin Sprague