What do a young girl, a tree, and a national disaster have in common? Better yet, can something beautiful be born out of a tragedy?
Having survived a life full of trials and tribulations, I pondered the answer to the latter. For me, the solution was to tell stories based upon true life events that heal, instruct and inspire through a company named Healing Tree Arts—a small business that would begin with a single children’s book. The ultimate goal is to create a center where people can gather to heal from traumatic experiences in their lives–a place where they can grow and learn through a host of healthy modalities.
The referenced children’s book, titled Baby Lauren and Theodore, was in my head for over fifteen years. It is the story of a young child, inspired by my youngest daughter, Lauren, who has a special relationship with her friends and a tree named Theodore. Ironically, during this time, my neighbor saved several original branches of Theodore. She did not know that I was writing the book and I had no idea she had decorated her home with the tree. Much to our surprise, after the book was published, she brought Theodore home.
In addition, the ending of the story was inspired by the disaster that occurred on 9/11/2001; a broadcast aired in the spring of 2002 highlighted a small tree peeking out of the snow near Ground Zero. Amidst all the devastation there was new life—a gentle reminder that we should always look for the silver lining.
Please stay tuned, as more books will be created in the near future, including children’s stories and an adult fiction novel. We are excited to share our tales with you!
We also would like to encourage you to view our beautiful portfolio of original paintings and sculpture, where our lifelong love of art comes alive.