Tagged grief

Tori leaning against brick building“My sister who passed, she always had a saying and she had it tattooed on her arm, and after she passed, a lot of people here got that tattoo. It’s just, ‘Make memories and always wear your smile’ was her thing. She faced a lot of illness, so she always made a point to make memories and smile… We didn’t expect it, it was a brain aneurism, anyhow, she got a settlement for a surgery and she wanted to treat me and my mom and her friends, so we went to Vegas, we went to concerts, we did all this stuff, ironically right before she passed. So we made a lot of memories, and she was always talking about memories and to smile because with the surgery, they didn’t know she’d talk, smile, eat, any of that, but she pulled through and she was able to, so she smiled all the time.” – Tori, Spokane

Photo: Jessica Morgan

Marie holding newspaper clipping

“My oldest daughter passed away. February 14th this year it will be 12 years ago. And after she passed away, many women came to my husband and me in person or over the phone or by letter telling us how much she had helped them when they needed some sort of help. And so, we wanted to do something in her honor.” – Marie Lacroix, Blondies Salon owner and UGM supporter