the hearts

Dear Rita,

Thank you for your gentle entry into this world, teaching me about the power and beauty of women’s work. Thank you for your placement as the last of our tribe, teaching me daily to enjoy the precious, fleeting moments. Thank you for your devotion, teaching me how to love. Thank you for your fire and wit, teaching me how to laugh through life. Thank you for your independence, teaching me to release control. Thank you for your creativity, teaching me how to marvel at the world around me. Thank you, dear one, for all that is you.

All my love,

Mom

Dear Marcia,

Thank you for your example of faith and devotion to God, family, and community. I have long admired the way you love and give generously of your time. You are a great listener: compassionate, thoughtful and wise. I am grateful for the conversations we’ve shared when we’re together and your example of an engaged life when we’re not.

I love you.

Jenny

Dear Darcey,

I am grateful for light in the dark. I am grateful for layers. I am grateful for struggles that turn into joys. I am grateful for conversations. I am grateful for crossed paths. I am grateful strength. I am grateful for courage. I am grateful for friendship. I am grateful for you.

With love,

Jenny

Dear Julie,

In my part of the world the grasswidow is a herald of spring. It is, for me, a gift of promise and tender compassion that the struggle of winter is over - that light and life are returning. For a brief period of time, select hillsides are carpeted with this powerful message. It is a joy like no other to walk through this promise.

My dear friend, I can’t express how much I love you, and how grateful I am for you. I can only offer you a flower. Please know that it holds it all.

All my love,

Jenny

Dear Juliana,

I am grateful for your wisdom, intelligence, adventurousness and devotion. Thank you for walking with me, running with me, hiking with me, and talking with me. I always leave our interactions - whatever their form - feeling invigorated, stimulated, and deeply grateful that somehow I’m lucky enough to be your friend.

With deep love and gratitude,

Jenny

Dear Annelie,

The process of creating this heart was unique. It involved many layers of joint compound(!) and paint. In between each layer I would sand and scrape and sculpt and scar, both creating and revealing the piece’s history. It was surprising and fascinating to see what would emerge. Just like this heart, I am grateful for all the things that have made you you. Some have been good, some not so good - but both have worked together to create the woman I love and admire. Thank you for your kindness, willingness to serve, patience, love, generosity and incredible work ethic. Thank you for continuing to push on - adding layers and scraping them back - always growing stronger and more beautifully complex.

I love you.

Jenny

Dear LeeAnn,

I am amazed by you! You inspire me to work hard to carefully choose the thoughts I focus on. I am grateful for your lessons of perseverance, determination and resilience. I am grateful for your ability to get back up when you’ve been knocked down over and over and over. You are incredible.

With love,

Jenny

Dear Kharynne,

I am both inspired and grateful for your ability to make both the light and the shadows beautiful. I am amazed by your talent to find the humor in every situation and not take life or yourself too seriously. I am also grateful for your inability stay silent when you see injustice. You have a huge heart and I’m grateful that you’ve shared it with me.

With lots and lots of love,

Jenny

Dear Kristal,

You are such a delightful human. I am grateful for your ability to lift the weary, cheer the sad, and comfort the lonely. I am grateful for your gift to see past the obvious and into the heart of both situations and people. Thank you for listening to me and being a friend when I really needed one. Thank you for your beautiful smile that is always ready to brighten and cheer. Thank you for you.

Much love,

Jenny

Dear Tami,

Oh my goodness. At the time of this writing it has been so, so long since we’ve connected. I want you to know how important our friendship was when our paths crossed so many years ago. I am grateful for the wisdom and compassion you shared with me. I am grateful for your tenderness towards the earth and all her creatures. I am grateful for the generosity of your time, attention and friendship. I remember saying goodbye to you and weeping all the way home. Your friendship meant more than you can know.

I love and miss you,

Jenny

Dear Tuli,

How I love your healing, loving, wise spirit! I am so grateful that we have shared so many tender and personal experiences - you’ve been at my side during some of the very best and very challenging times, always supporting me with love and tenderness. I am grateful for your hugs (they are the BEST!!!), the way we can finish each other’s sentences, and conversations that spread out over afternoons and into the evenings. Thank you for inviting me into your life and heart. I love you so much.

With deep gratitude,

Jenny

Dear Susan,

Oh, my dear friend! I can’t tell you how much I needed you when we moved here! I had been living in a personal, cultural and physical desert. There was so little that fed my soul and I had been slowly dying for years. Coming to your class was finding an oasis. I immediately fell in love with you and fiercely protected class time - it was MY time and I desperately needed that space with you and with myself. I slowly began to reawaken and find my passions again. Thank you, thank you, thank you for your kindness, gentleness, love, support and this precious gift. I am so very grateful.

Namaste,

Jenny

Dear Mrs. Jeffery,

When I think back to my elementary school years, your class is the first that comes to mind. I remember lots of color, wonderful projects, and delightful books being read aloud. I loved how you treated me like someone important, someone worth talking to. I have carried your request for me to become a teacher for my entire life. While I am not a teacher within the school system, I am absolutely a teacher at heart and love leading classes, discussions and workshops. I try to make them as fun, interesting, and colorful as yours were. Thank you for inspiring me early on. You made a difference.

With love,

Jenny

Dear Julie,

I often think of you when I’m in the studio. You’re philosophy of “more is more” inspires me to push past boundaries and work a piece more than I normally would. I am always - or at least almost always - so glad I did! Your use of color and texture and pattern consistently delights and moves me. I’ve also been incredibly inspired watching your journey as an artist. I’ve been part of your fan club for about a decade and oh my goodness! What you have accomplished in that time is astounding. I appreciate your reminder to show up and put the time in - day after day. Thank you so much for your mentorship - even though you’ve never known you were doing it.

With deep gratitude,

Jenny

Dear Ms. Oliver,

Your words have the power to touch my soul in such a real, raw way. You have a gift for capturing the beautiful truth in light, leaves, wing beats, waving grass, mud, shadow and movement. I come back to your work when I need to be grounded, inspired, and reminded of the blessed gift of life. Thank you for the hours you spend watching and writing - I am a direct beneficiary of the investments you’ve made. I can’t thank you enough for the way you’ve helped me to see more clearly and love more deeply.

With profound gratitude,

Jenny

Dear Colleen,

Thank you for your wisdom, your kind words and your compassion. Thank you for your generosity in conversation, time and resources. Thank you for loving the people I love the most. Thank you for being patient in hard situations, for staying the course, for always showing up.

I love you.

Jenny

Dear Brenda,

You came into my life at a crossroads and I am so grateful for the gift of art that you gave me. Thank you for teaching me that art is a language - that I could use it to express the inexpressible. Thank you for giving me the space, materials and encouragement to rip back all the layers and lay them out again in color, line, texture, light and dark. Thank you for sharing your passion. Thank you for sharing your heart. Thank you for sharing your time. Thank you for listening. Thank you for critiquing. Thank you for being in the right place at the right time with the right tools. I am beyond grateful.

With deep love and gratitude,

Jenny

Dear Shaila,

It has been an honor to watch your transformation from shadow to full sun. That I could witness the unfolding of a lovely woman is one of my greatest joys. I am grateful for every smile that was aimed in my direction. For conversations and hugs. I am grateful that you have left the nest - ballast released, wings unfurled, and lift off achieved. I am amazed by your strength, courage and general awesomeness.

So much love for you,

Jenny

Dear Meg,

For someone I don’t know, you hold a great deal of sway in how I strive to live my life. I am grateful for your kind, wise, connected philosophy of living and parenting. I am grateful for the bits and pieces of the personal triumphs and heartaches you share. You are a womanhood mentor for me - kind, strong, tender, fierce, nurturing and compassionate. I hope to meet you in person, but even if I don’t get that opportunity, I’m so grateful for the reminders you’ve given me to slow down, listen, and love.

Thank you,

Jenny

Dear Vicki,

The first time I met you my impression was how quietly warm and inviting you were. Years later I still feel the same. It is so easy to feel welcome and peaceful around you - there is nothing false or strained - you are just you, wonderfully you. I am grateful for this as well as the love you’ve given Dave. I love you and am so, so grateful for you!

All my love,

Jenny

Dear Dr. Rudd-McCoy,

You were with me during my first adult heartbreak - when the blush of youth’s dream faded and I woke up to the reality that sometimes life is devastating. I’ll never forget the kindness and dignity you offered me. And the pure joy we got to share later. You were water in the desert during such a bleak time for me. I am grateful for your time, attention, and compassion. So profoundly grateful.

With so much love,

Jenny

Note: I found out after I completed in the Hundred Hearts Project that Dr. Rudd-McCoy had passed away in 2016. A Women’s Center in Hermiston, Oregon has been named after her. It is a fitting memorial for a woman who was dedicated to the compassionate care of the women in her community.

Dear Trixie,

I don’t know where to start. I don’t know where to end. You are a walking miracle and an incredible example of love, faith, compassion, strength and endurance. When I need to dig deep and do what seems impossible I think of you and your constant press onward and upward. You inspire me and all who know you. Thank you.

In gratitude,

Jenny

Dear Jill,

Thank you for your unrelenting dedication to continually reach out and help both me and my family. I am grateful for the thoughtful offers of time that you have given me. I can’t fully express how much I have appreciated that kindness. It has been an incredible gift for both me and my family. But especially me. An empty bucket has nothing to give and you, on many occasions, have allowed me to fill it back up. It’s a been a ripple-effect gift. I am so, so grateful.

With love,

Jenny

Dear Beth,

I am so grateful for you showing me what opening doors for your children looks like - and where it can lead. I have long admired the gentle way you’ve raised your kids and how you’ve trusted them to do hard things from a very young age. You’ve challenged me to re-think what is possible, to allow my own children to pursue their dreams, and use our resources to help our family move forward. When I think of your family I think of roots, wings and mountains. Thank you for this vision - it influences my own more than you know.

With love,

Jenny

Dear JuliAnn,

Your seemingly impossible strength amazes me. Your ability to find humor in everything inspires me. Your relentless dedication to your family humbles me. I am grateful to know you and even more grateful to be related to you.

I love you.

Jenny

Dear Bev,

Thank you so much for creating a space of homey delight. It has brought me so much pleasure to spend time with assorted treasured women within your walls. I’ve renewed friendships, kindled new ones, and bonded more deeply with beloved family members. I always knew that you would treat us with a delicious meal and wonderful hospitality. Thank you so much your pocket of grace and warmth in our little town.

In gratitude,

Jenny

Dear Jody,

When I think of you I think of wild, crazy color. As a child I was awed by you - art everywhere, a picnic table in your dining room, students who worshiped you, and a wardrobe that consistently featured converse with crazy socks. This set the stage for my admiration but you entered into legend when you showed up as a personal angel during the hardest physical experience I ever had. Your humor, steadiness and total selflessness was appreciated more deeply than you can know. I can’t go back to that memory without weeping with gratitude for you. You are a light - thank you so much for sharing it with me - and so many others.

With deep gratitude,

Jenny

Dear Joy,

Oh, the memories! Long, long, long conversations, crazy ideas, testing of boundaries, obscene amounts of calories consumed in one sitting, first dates, last dates, proms, dinners, classes, late nights, early mornings, depths of despair and peaks of transcendent joy - we shared an incredible variety of experiences. I am so grateful that we found each other when we did and promptly joined at the hip. You taught me in close range how to be an unconditional friend. Not only to me but to everyone. I can only hope that my own daughters can have friends as kind and genuine and inclusive as you. Thank you.

All my love and gratitude,

Jenny

My dear Anna,

I often marvel that I am your mother and not the other way around. You are so wise, kind, patient, and focused - I don’t know what I can possibly offer you that you don’t already have! It’s an honor to be a student of yours - and especially amazing that we get to live in the same home. I love it when your rich inner world spills out in your stories, sense of humor, and artwork. I love the questions you ask and the insights you share. I love watching you love your sister. I love traveling with you. I love holding your hand. I love hugging you. I love being with you. I can’t count the ways I am grateful for you - I simply am. In all the ways.

Love you to the moon and back - times infinity, infinity times.

Mom

Dear Phyllis,

I remember when you sat with me in your living room and taught me how to piece together my first quilt. I don’t remember a heavenly visitation but there could have been. I fell in love with quilting so deeply that it was years before I lifted my head to take a breath. For a long time quilting was my creative outlet, therapy, and one-way ticket to the poor house. Thank you so very much for taking the time to share your passion - it fell on fertile soil and brought me joy as I was able to express my love to many family members, friends and brand-new babies.

In gratitude,

Jenny

Dear Bev,

I am grateful for our wonderful conversations - in any form they take. I am grateful for your love for home and family. And I am profoundly grateful for your example of moving forward through tragedy. One breath into the next, into the minute, into the hour, into the day, into the week, into the month and into the year. Always forward. Thank you.

Big love to you,

Jenny

Dear Montira,

Thank you for sharing your incredible culinary skills with our family and our community. Your food has been a part of many celebrations in our family: birthdays, successes at work, anniversaries and just because. You’ve provided a place for long talks with friends, dates with my husband, and time alone. Thank you, thank you, thank you for making the decision to share your talents with our little town.

With gratitude,

Jenny

Dear Stacie,

You opened my eyes as a teenager to what a young woman could be: fiercely intelligent, well-read, adventurous, independent, grounded, kind, and capable. I was in awe of all you had done in your relatively short life and it caused me to consider for the first time the boundaries I had thoughtlessly set for myself. Thank you for waking me up to womanhood and all its incredible potential.

With love,

Jenny

Dear Whitney,

I have loved getting to know your deep kindness, loving mothering, and solid foundation. You and Jordan are a great match and I admire how well you work together in both business and family. You are such a lovely person - in all the ways - and I’m grateful to be a part of your family.

With love,

Jenny

Dear Katie,

It’s been a total delight to me to see where and when our paths have crossed. I’m so grateful for our friendship, your forgiveness for my boneheaded-ness that you had to endure, your dedication to your muses, your strength, your endurance, your patience, your creativity, your curiosity, your deep insights, and your contagious laugh. Thank you for your continued friendship. I am incredibly grateful for and inspired by you.

Blessings to you,

Jenny

Dear Linda,

Our relationship has been a complicated one - I’m so grateful for the perspective of age and I have come to a place of deep respect for you. I feel like my eyes have cleared with adulthood. I can now see a woman who is fiercely loyal to her family, who loves her husband, who has a huge heart for helping others, who is very intelligent, and who can endure anything. When you receive this heart in person, please know that it is a physical peace offering. I created this piece to honor our past and look with hope to the future. Thank you for teaching me how to open my heart.

I love you.

Jenny

Dear Sara,

Thank you for showing me what can be done with determination, sacrifice, and a whole lot of work. I have always been impressed by your quiet fierceness. It’s been such a pleasure for me to watch you chip away at your goals - it inspires me to keep pressing forward with my own. You are incredible.

All my love,

Jenny

Dear Julia,

I’ve never known anyone who is as passionate about life as you. You have always been full of incredible ideas for how to tap into the magic of life. I suspect your body is made of fairy dust rather than the usual flesh and blood. Thank you for sprinkling wonder everywhere you go.

Yours, always.

Jenny

Dear Cindy,

Thank you for showing me that with a lot of hard work, persistence, and business savvy, an artist definitely does not have to starve. I am grateful for the generosity with which you share your wisdom, experience and friendship. You are pure class all the way through.

With love and admiration,

Jenny

Dear Becca,

You’ve seen me through childhood and adulthood and are still my friend - it feels like a miracle. You have one of the kindest, most gentle souls of anyone I’ve ever met. Thank you for your kindness, patience, and refusal to leave me to the wolves - even when that would have been the most reasonable thing to do. You are so very dear to me - I love you so, my sweet friend!

Always,

Jenny

Dear Arlene,

When two circles overlap, the space of commonality is the birthplace of all other shapes. I was curious how long it would take to create a heart shape working from that creative space. Not too long, it turns out!

I think of our conversations like this painting - when the circle of my mind meets the circle of your mind I am always delighted by what we create together. It’s always fascinating and leaves me with things to ponder for days after. You are insightful and wise and endlessly curious. Plus you’re just a lot of fun. I am deeply grateful for you.

I love you to the moon and back, my friend.

Jenny

Dear Peggy,

Your sweet smile and huge heart fills me with joy every time I think of you. I am so grateful that our paths crossed when and how they did. Thank you for sharing your flowers, your sweet compliments, your insights into your happy marriage, and your delightful sense of humor. You are a gem of infinite worth.

With love,

Jenny

Dear Heidi,

When I think about you the word that keeps coming to my mind is generous. You are generous with your time, generous with your friendship, generous with your enthusiasm, generous with your support, generous with your attention, generous with your effort. I’ve never known you to do anything halfway - you live all-in and I love that so much about you. I am so grateful for you.

I love and miss you,

Jenny

Dear Amy,

I’m so grateful to know you in the way that I do. I’m grateful for a connection deeper than circumstance or geography. I love that we can pick up a conversation and go - even if it’s been years since the last one. I am grateful for the “small but mighty” force you bring to everything - parenting, work, running, family.

I love you.

Jenny

Dear Connie,

It’s a hard thing to raise a family without family nearby to help and love our kids in real time - I often feel like we are on our own island, fending for ourselves. How can I express the depth of my gratitude then for the ways you’ve stepped in to help us? Watching our kids, spoiling them with treats, simply noticing them, and being our friends - it’s been such a gift. What is so remarkable is that I know we aren’t the only ones you do this for. You have such a kind and generous heart that you share with an efficiency that is truly remarkable.

Thanks for being the village.

Jenny

Dear Margie,

In many ways you were like an older sister to me during my childhood. I looked up to you and loved the peek into the future you gave me. Boys! Highschool! College! Marriage! Children! I am grateful for the ways you tested the waters and then reported back to me. I always felt so honored that you took me under your wing in the way that you did. Thank you so much that gift. I loved you then and I love you now.

In gratitude,

Jenny

Dear Shauna,

Thank you for always making me feel like family. You are one of the warmest and most welcoming people I ever known and love the time we get to spend together - which is not nearly enough! Your dedication to family inspires me to look for ways I can be more engaged and supportive in my own. I appreciate your attention to detail and how you are careful to see that all the bits and pieces of any puzzle are accounted for. You are such a lovely human and I am grateful to know you in the special way that I do.

All my love and gratitude,

Jenny

Dear Lizzy,

You are blessed with the gift of drawing out rich thoughts and conversation from complete strangers - like myself! You won me over immediately and I now count you as one of my dear friends. I love what you do, what you stand for, what you don’t stand for, your unapologetic bad-assery, and the way you live your life deeply rooted in purpose. You are absolutely astounding and I can’t wait to meet you!

Huge hug to you,

Jenny

Dear Leah,

You will always be my angel! You came into my life when I really needed help and you filled that need so perfectly. I was on the ragged edge as a young mother and you just sweetly stepped in and cared for our little family as only you could - with songs and stories and games and your sweet laughter. Thank you for giving me the gift of time and sanity. You saved much more than the day.

All my love,

Jenny

Dear Heidi,

Thank you for courageously taking a leap of faith so many years ago to help pull your family out of a financial tailspin. That one decision created a ripple effect that eventually reached me at a time when I was SO READY to hear your message of hope! I took a deep breath and made a leap of my own. I have been totally astounded by what happens when you combine passion and effort - than you for giving me the courage to try it for myself. Thank you for mentoring me through the first shaky steps. Thank you for your continued support as I navigate my own path. Thank you for being vulnerable and putting your heart out into the world - you changed my life and countless others because of it

With deep gratitude,

Jenny

Dear Erica,

One of the challenges I face as an artist is laying my heart open for others to see. You are so kind and appreciative of the work I do - I deeply value the support you offer! You also have the ability to see beyond my art and into the depth of what I am saying and then somehow articulate it back to me in a way that gives me insight into my own motivation and process! I don’t know how you do it but you do it so consistently that I know it’s a gift you possess. That this gift is coupled with a wonderful human that I enjoy spending time with makes you all the more precious to me.

Thank you so very much.

Jenny

Dear Lorri,

You are a huge part of one of the sweetest moments of my life. [Note to the reader: this may be TMI if childbirth is on the edge of your comfort zone]. I had just welcomed my daughter into the world with a birth that unfolded in the most beautiful way. When it came to time to tend to my wounds you gathered my sweet friends who had been assisting me all day to my side and we all laughed and chatted as you made careful stitches to repair the tear. As I was surrounded by these dear women I marveled at the underestimated power of “women’s work.” We had all toiled in the labor the day as only women could and then we to finished it off in a unique sewing circle of sorts. I owned my divinity that day and have not minimized my work ever since. Thank you for being a part of that precious experience. Thank you for believing in women and beautifully supporting the remarkable work that they do.

All my love,

Jenny

Dear Brittany,

I come to you looking shaggy and feeling slightly out of control and you are able to work your magic every time to make me feel clean and polished. Paraphrasing Michelangelo, you just snip away what isn’t me, revealing the true Jenny underneath all that extra hair. Thank you for sharing your talent with me and our community. I’m so grateful for the confidence I feel every time I leave your chair.

So grateful,

Jenny

Dear Shannon,

Grocery shopping has never been my favorite thing in the world - I try to minimize my time in Fred Meyer as much as possible. I have to tell you though - you have elevated that experience for me. You are so much fun to chat with and I’ve never seen anyone work as fast and as accurately as you. I truly look forward to our Monday morning chats and I know I’m not the only one. Thanks for being your fun, tough-love, work hard, play hard self. You make aisle 12 the best place to be!

You’re awesome,

Jenny

Dear Amanda,

In my years raising of my children your writing helped me stay rooted in what I aimed for as my ideal. I have appreciated your grounded words, your recognition of the beauty of the mundane, your appreciation for the home-made, and the way you have nurtured your children to be who they are - not who you imagine them to be. It’s a breath of fresh(ly baked bread) air to settle into your essays and observations. Thank you for sharing them so generously and religiously. You are a huge part of my child-raising years - thank you for being there in a way that’s only possible in this digital age.

With deep gratitude,

Jenny

Dear Cheryl,

I created these hearts for you as a way to show you how much I admire your two sides and how well you balance them. You are both gentle and fierce - and I love that about you! Gentleness and kindness can so often bleed into timidity (my own struggle) but girl, you are anything but timid. I have watched in admiration as you’ve owned your opinion and not put out a “for rent” sign. As someone who struggles with the fear of settling down into myself, your confidence is incredibly inspiring. That you can couple this with a deep tenderness is doubly amazing.

So grateful for you,

Jenny

Dear Erin,

I am so grateful for the energy and positivity you bring to our family. You are bright and vivacious and have boundless energy. I am impressed by your ability to weather storms with a smile. I’m pretty sure there is no hardship you haven’t loved in the end. Thank you for being such a force for good in the world.

So much love,

Jenny

Dear Librarians,

This is the only heart in the project that is for a group of women...and what a group you are! I love that you know each of my children by name. That you can recommend things that might enjoy. That you have created a second home for them - one that is filled with interest and excitement and so much possibility. I am so grateful for the way that you have shaped the lives of my children in such positive, life-long ways. You do such meaningful work - thank you.

In gratitude,

Jenny

Dear Kari,

As we’ve ebbed and flowed in and out of life’s experiences and contact with each other I love that we can always reconnect and start right where we left off. You’ve taught me how important it is to reach out and maintain relationships - that a quick email to start the ball rolling is all it takes to make a really nourishing afternoon happen. Thank you for your listening ear, your kindness, your optimism, and your tenacity. I had no idea that I lucked out so completely when we met all those years ago.

I am so grateful for you.

Jenny

Dear Elise,

Thank you for giving me the tools to identify myself, my mission, and my place in the world. The confidence I feel knowing that my work is aligned with my soul is priceless. I’m grateful for the lesson that saying no allows room for the YES! of life. That our work IS our life. That business done well nourishes all involved. Thank you for making the first taste of my own entrepreneurship so delicious.

All my love and gratitude,

Jenny

Dear Lara,

Explaining the way I created this heart helps to explain what you mean to me. Prior to this heart, I had never tried this technique before. It involves mixing a flow agent into the paint to make it more pourable and then pouring each color onto the canvas. Each color pushes the previous color out of the way and eventually the entire piece is covered. I was pretty nervous about it - the fluidity could be off, the flow pattern could be wonky, it could be a TON of wasted, expensive paint, and it could just be plain ugly! I finally took a deep breath and drew on your lesson to “just go for it” and did. It’s not perfect but it does perfectly express my gratitude. Thank you for teaching me to be bold, to quit holding back, and to just pour it on. I have drawn on your counsel countless times and my life has filled with color because of it. Thank you. I mean that deeply.

Thank you.

Jenny

Dear Reva,

Thank you so much for teaching me what it means to work hard for an organization. I learned so much from your work ethic, attention to detail, and professionalism. I loved our time together and am grateful that I had the opportunity to learn from you. I’ve had many opportunities to lean on your example and think “what would Reva do?” You have also inspired me to live a life of passion. From baking bread in your Airstream to cultivating an incredible garden, you teach by example how to live the best life - the one you love.

So grateful for you and all the hats you so beautifully wear,

Jenny

Dear Ellen,

I created this heart for you out of Shrinky Dinks because, honestly, I can’t think of anyone who would appreciate it more. Your sense of humor, wit, and charm are unparalleled. To leverage these gifts for the uplifting of millions is astounding. Thank you for sharing your time and talent with the world. It’s a happier place because of it.

With love and gratitude,

Jenny

Dear Geniel,

Thank you for teaching me how to run a home. Thank you for teaching me how to be a generous host. Thank you for teaching me about faith. Thank you for teaching me about love. Thank you for teaching me how to garden. Thank you for teaching me about the love of music. Thank you for teaching me about forgiveness. Thank you for teaching me about me.

I loved you then and I love you now.

Jenny

Dear Pat,

I can’t thank you enough for our few days together on the Oregon Coast. You reminded me that art is a language and, more importantly, that I had something to say. You helped me find my voice and validated the importance of it. I have found that the more I do the less I falter, the richer it becomes, and the wider its range. Thank you for this incredible gift. I mean, really. Thank you.

With deep gratitude,

Jenny

Dear Ani,

You provided the anthems of my young adult life. I identified so deeply with your expressions of angst, longing, beauty, optimism and rage. You truly provided the soundtrack to my life. I poured over your lyrics - gulping them down like I was starving. I was starving. Now, coming back to your work after the deep dive into the parenting of young children, I am filled again. It’s the tenderness of your work that touches me most now. You are truly an artist with a body of work that timelessly inspires. Thank you for the way you’ve shaped my thoughts and my heart. Thank you for fighting to be heard. We’ve listened.

In gratitude,

Jenny

Dear Addie,

Thank you for the support you’ve so generously and genuinely offered me. I can’t tell you how much I value your observations in the moment and visions into the future. I love our conversations and always leave them ready to get it done. We share so many of the same values and philosophies around business - your insights are pure gold! I am incredibly grateful for the re-crossing of our paths where and when they did. I think we have some incredible things ahead.

With love,

Jenny

Dear Svetlana,

Thank you for teaching me that the world is small, that language isn’t much of a barrier, and that friendships can span distance, culture and time.

All my love and gratitude,

Jenny

Dear Erin,

I am so grateful for the way that you have cared for my son. To give someone the gift of clear communication is priceless. We all want to be heard - thank you for helping him find his voice.

With deep gratitude,

Jenny

Dear Dawn,

What a road it’s been. Thank you for continuing to love our family through all the twists and turns and potholes. You’ve had ample reason to be unkind but instead you’ve been an example of loving through it all, come what may. You are a bright light and I’m both astonished and grateful that you continue to shine it our way. As you would say - “God bless you, honey!”

With love,

Jenny

Dear Alecia,

You have always astonished me with your pioneering and adventurous spirit. You are always trying new things, pushing boundaries, and expanding horizons. Now, a few decades in, the tapestry that you have woven has depth and variation and stunning color. You inspire me to keep to the loom.

With love and admiration,

Jenny

Dear Edie,

You are a FORCE! I’ve never met anyone with so much passion and tenacity as you. I am inspired by the way you have focused on the life you want to live and then worked tirelessly to make it happen. I know it can be done in my own life because I’ve watched you do it with yours. Thank you for your example - and your enduring friendship.

With gratitude,

Jenny

Dear Nera,

You bring such a bright light to a place that has a reputation for long, boring lines. I love how kind and patient you are. I’ve never seen you get frustrated - even when you could easily do so. You have a friendly comment for everyone - and there are A LOT of everyones! It makes me teary to think of all the lives in our community that you’ve touched with your optimism. Thank you.

In gratitude,

Jenny

Dear Lauren,

Though we’ve never met, you’ve still served as an important role model for me. While I’ve habitated in my body for the last 40 years I really hadn’t owned it or taken it seriously. You showed me what it looks like to push the limits of what I am capable of. I’ve found a deep love of running and count you as a mentor of sorts to show me what it means to truly show up in my own skin.

Thank you.

Jenny

Dear Grandma Tutu,

I’m breaking the rules by painting for you - I decided when I began this project that I would paint for the living; but some rules are meant to be broken and this seems like a good one to break.

Thank you for showing up for me in both life and death. I’ve felt your presence throughout this entire project - in both the celebrations and the times of self-doubt. You’ve always been a supporter of big, crazy ideas and this was no exception. I’m working hard down here to carry on your legacy of living a loving and adventurous life.

Thank you for being here as I close the door on this incredible experience. Thank you for the nudge to start it in the first place. Thank you for loving me - it’s made all the difference.

Yours,

Jenny