🕯️🥭🌸 Thank you to everyone who joined Michael’s Celebration of Life - it was a magical, beautiful, and profoundly moving gathering - a portal for community care, grief, and healing. It truly felt like Michael’s spirit was with us; and every part of him – the family man, the organizer, the snacks and chisme lover, the poet, the dancer, the fierce hair flipper, the freedom fighter, and the tender hearted gem – was reflected in all of you!
Deepest Gratitude:
+ Crossroads Fam
@crossroadsfund for loving Michael, me, and Zoya so hard + helping with all the planning & logistics
+ Steve Moon
@hosiklofi and Jane Kimono
@janekimondo for emcee’ing with so much heart and laughter
+ Xoco House Gallery
@xocohousegallery for hosting us in their gorgeous event space
+ Planks and Pistils
@planksandpistils for the stunning flowers and being a friend of grief
+ Leopoldo Catering
@gingerenergy for the delicious Filipino food
+ Irazu Costa Rican
@irazuchicago for the delicious Caribbean food
+ Free Spirit Community Art & Media
@freespiritchi - for the beautiful story booth
+ Laura Saenz
@laulausaenz and the mothers of Telpochcalli for the gorgeous paper flowers
+ William Estrada
@werdmvmnt and Sophia Sobko
@shopysobs for stunning flyers of Michael
+ Rae Chardonnay
@raechardonnay for curating the vibes with so much love and care
+ Loren Toney
@lorens.lens for documenting with such tenderness and love for legacy
+ Kai Foster
@kaimfoster for creating a gorgeous documentary film so our family can enjoy for years to come
+ Olly Costello
@olly.costello.art for allowing their art to be infused throughout our grief rituals
+ Rivka Yeker
@rivka.yeker for being our volunteer coordinator and my grief chief of staff
+ All the volunteers who came early to set-up, stayed late to clean-up, joined all the Zoom meetings and site visits - you know who you are!!!
+ All the family & friends who came from all across the country and the world to be part of our collective grief and love portal - I love you all so much!! 💖💖💖
📸 by the brilliant
@lorens.lens