“For the past six years, our family has participated in the Out of the Darkness walks for the prevention of suicide. This year, we wanted to do something different and then someone posted a picture on Facebook of a tiny bouquet they had found at their bank and how it had put a great big smile on their face. I knew this was something positive that I could do with my garden flowers, and with my grandchildren.

I shared the idea with my daughter and she suggested taking the bouquets to the Out of the Darkness walk. What a perfect idea. Then I read that you and this idea originated out of Madison. We lived in Madison and raised our two daughters there. Their dad used to own and operate the House of Wisconsin Cheese first on the Square and then on State Street. He ended his life in 1994, 24 years ago and we work hard to keep his memory alive every year.

His daughters, now in their 40’s have 2 little ones each that he never met. It’s important to us that they know they had a Grandpa Mike who would have loved them to pieces. So this year, instead of just doing the walk, we distributed 12 tiny bouquets along the walk route indicating that they were in memory of Mike. His youngest daughter, who now lives in North Carolina, did the same with her kids on Sunday as well, distributing 10 tiny bouquets in his memory.

The act of making the bouquets filled us with such peace and then thinking about the people who might have a moment of joy from that gift of thoughtfulness was something that made our hearts swell on this day that we remember their dad.

Thank you so much for such a simple yet powerful idea. One we will now forward on to others as often and deep as we can.” -Jane P.