Michelle Pyykkonen

The world has lost a beautiful soul. A lover of all things nature; bees, poppies, sunflowers.....and dogs. So many dogs. Many of you knew her affectionately as "Misu".

Misu was that person that left an impact on you, long after your conversation ended. Misu hated small talk and would force you to talk about the REAL things. The MEANINGFUL things. The HARD things.

Misu was blessed with many gifts. Her eye for art and photography was impeccable. She managed to draw out beauty and emotion in every picture she took. She could tell a story with just a few photographs. Her greatest gift was her ability to connect with people. She had the ability to make you feel your worth because of who you were, not because of what you produced. She had the capacity to make you believe you could do things that you thought were out of reach. She saw potential in you that you didn't conceive.

Misu loved hard. Those who were in her inner circle know that she was that person that would do anything in her power to help someone she loved. Being loved by Misu meant that you felt remembered, cared for, and valued. Her husband Christopher hit the jackpot in the love department.

Misu was a beacon of hope. In all of the years I knew her, and after all of the hardships she endured, I never saw her lose hope. She had the ability to share that hope with others when life got tough. She would never let you give up. SHE never gave up.

Most importantly, and what I think Misu would want you to remember, was her faith in Jesus Christ. Misu sat at the feet of Jesus listening to him, every day of her life. She cried and wept and loved in His presence. Her joy, faith, compassion, creativity, boldness, and love came from Jesus - and she wanted everyone around her to know Jesus like she did. Her faith was the most important thing to her, and she made sure you knew that. She was the person who would lift you up in prayer and remind you that God could overcome any circumstances.

Without knowing about her unwavering faith, her sudden and unexpected death would be unbearable. We can take comfort in knowing she's home now, with Jesus.

A life event like this is completely unexpected and earth-shattering. To ease the financial burden of everything that happens after death, I would like to try to provide some support for her husband Christopher.