09/09/2026
Friday is twenty-five years.
I spent years building Standing For The Fallen in Milwaukee so Wisconsin would not forget. Every name read aloud into the night. A bell after each one. First national. Then International.
This year I made something quieter.
She is called Liberty Keeps Watch. She sits beside the reflecting pool, her head bowed, a tear on her face. But she is not defeated. The flag is gathered close to her heart, as though she is holding the country and the people it carries with both hands.
Behind her, two beams rise through the darkness. Below is absence. Above is light.
Grief does not disappear because years pass. Neither does love.
There are two things hidden in this piece.
The price is $110. The towers stood 110 stories.
Count the candles. Two on one side, five on the other. Twenty-five years.
There is a third detail in the story I have not named. Someone will find it.
She is printed on natural slate with chiseled edges, so no two are alike. She comes with stands and a story card in the box.
I donated the artwork. Every dollar after printing goes to On Purpose Journey, my nonprofit for firefighters, law enforcement, military, and veterans. Give more than $110 if you are able. Anything above $110 is tax deductible.
Made to order, so it takes about three weeks to reach you.
www.onpurposejourney.com/ (click on the key to open the website door!)
Thank you for remembering with me.
