Messages for Hanna

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188 entries.

Benjamin Bishop from Pittsburgh wrote on January 30, 2026 at 11:22 pm

May your beautiful soul soar far above this earthly bondage.

Elisa from Pittsburgh wrote on January 30, 2026 at 8:29 pm

Hanna, I hope you can feel the warmth my heart feels to have known you. You're leaving the world more beautiful than you found it -- a gorgeous wave pulling us all toward love Xxxooo

José from Pittsburgh wrote on January 30, 2026 at 6:51 pm

Being born and raised in a city with rough terrain and more clouds than sunshine has allowed me to better see the bright and easy parts of this life. Hanna you are undoubtedly one of the brightest lights that I’ve had the honor of basking in. Although these past years have been full of rough terrain as you navigate this terrible disease I have never felt any challenge in connecting with you genuinely and deeply and for that I am grateful. For that I am heartbroken as your time here comes to an end. I want to hold into the gratitude but honestly I’m angry this happened to you and your family and friends. I am angry that I knew you for such a short time before you became ill. I am so sad to have my last words to you having to be typed here instead of spoken to you face to face so you can see the pain in my face and then the relief after whatever thoughtful response you’d have. I hold you in my heart as you pass with all my love. I will hold you in my memory and in my families ongoing story as a strong and brilliant human being that helped shed light on our lives and on the peace that death can bring us as well. Love you❤️

Kristen from North Woodstock, NH wrote on January 30, 2026 at 6:25 pm

I have followed your story unfold through the posts of Maranie Rae. She has, I hope you know, shared your story with all the grace and dignity imaginable. Hanna, you have inspired me to live. Capital L Live. As you journey forth this weekend, I wish you great peace and comfort. Thank you for letting us follow.

Elisabeth Crago from Pittsburgh wrote on January 30, 2026 at 5:50 pm

Hanna, whether you remember meeting me in one of Sarah's Madwomen classes, before Covid upended our lives is immaterial. I will never forget your gentle wisdom, your quiet listening, your warmth, your brave voice in this troubled world. Our paths did not cross again after that class, but having known you changed me. As I learned of your illness just recently, I have been touched by the stories of your navigating its course with the same humility, courage, and strength I witnessed in Sarah's class. Know that your time on this earth has meant more to more people than you can know. May you and your family traverse these next days feeling the love of the many you have touched. "There are a hundred ways to kneel and kiss the ground." I bow to you.

Moe Bowstern from Portland wrote on January 30, 2026 at 5:39 pm

Dear Hanna, Happy Death Day, may you drink deep from the wells of life, the liminal, the beyond. Happy Imbolc, Happy Brigid, may the fires of her forge shape you in ways that continue to shape others, may your poem-words burn with healing, may we soak in that healing, rain on the drylands. Happy Full Moon, may Luna’s wax and wane carry you most gently on. May we all flower in your shining wake. I learned today how I have tended the flame of your life force deep in my heart, that part of my heart still songs and dances with and for you under the green green leaves of springtime in northern Appalachia, smiling outdoors, surrounded by your beloved all. Go easy, burn bright. Thank you for coming to Earth. Much love & gratitude, Moe Bowstern

MJ Broadbent from Oakland, CA wrote on January 30, 2026 at 4:51 pm

Dearest Hanna, your life is a masterwork of art, love, justice, and community. Meeting you and Elsa in Montana felt like a cosmic (re)union with women my soul somehow already knew, all traveling uncharted paths. I am grateful for the gifts you have so generously and openly shared: joys, sorrows, creativity, spirit, struggle, and now the choice to depart—with courage and grace. Thank you, with all my heart. May profound peace and universal love surround you, always, my friend. Countless blessings to Marc, and your amazing family of caregivers. We who remain will grieve, yet forever be illuminated by your being.

Julia Frederking from Copenhagen wrote on January 30, 2026 at 4:14 pm

Hanna, I’m deeply grateful for having crossed paths with you. I will forever cherish the collaboration we had with you in Pittsburgh many years ago. At many moments in my career since then, I’ve thought about what an inspiration you were (and always will be). You brought to your work a level of compassion, professionalism, empathy, spirit and courage I’d never come across before, and I’ve been moved by that experience ever since. Thank you for sharing your journey, your work and your transition. With love and admiration, Julia

Davey T Steinman from Minneapolis wrote on January 30, 2026 at 4:00 pm

Sending so much love, Hanna! You are a true inspiration 💜

Lang Qin from Vancouver wrote on January 30, 2026 at 3:40 pm

I can hardly believe that our meeting at SVA was almost ten years ago. I still remember the first time I talked with you and Marc, and how deeply you empathized with my experiences in China. I will always cherish everything I learned from you—things I had never learned before in China. They helped me become a better person, someone more able to see and understand the struggles of others. Since graduating, I have been struggling through my own life, often running on empty, and even now I still find it hard to slow down. I am sorry that after you became ill, I didn’t reach out more or say what I should have said. Perhaps I felt a sense of shame for not having “succeeded” or for not living a better life, and so I hid myself. But none of that matters now. When I heard of your decision, from far away in my home, I was suddenly overwhelmed by memories and by a deep sense of gratitude for fate. Your courage, care, and love will always stay with me and accompany me into the future. Knowing that you will soon be free from pain and find peace, I feel as though I, too, have been granted a kind of forgiveness. I hope that one day, when I think of you, I will also finally be able to feel proud of myself. I miss you and I send you my blessings.

Mary-Wren wrote on January 30, 2026 at 3:14 pm

Hanna, what an honor to know you. You are so honest, so present. You have a way of seeing into people, of helping them see themselves. Or, at least, that has been my experience with you. Learning how to care for you has shown me how to care for myself. Seeing that beauty and art aren’t frivolous, they’re a life force. That friendship and asking for help and feedback and grace and gratitude and and and and. So many values tangibly living out loud. Your impact is massive. I love you. Thank you for sharing your life and death and whatever comes next with us. May this passing be peaceful. May this release be restful.

Bas Raijmakers from London and Amsterdam wrote on January 30, 2026 at 2:15 pm

Dear Hanna, I vividly remember how you and Marc made me feel very welcome a number of years back when I visited Pittsburgh, before you fel ill. Your work and in particular how you embodied it will continue to be an inspiration for me and I'm grateful for that. Thank you, Bas (Stby and Reach Network)

jess cox from Polish Hill, Pittsburgh wrote on January 30, 2026 at 1:40 pm

Hanna - we can never know all the ways we have touched, impacted, changed others or our world. I think about you often. I wish I had had more capacity to support you and the careforce in these last years. I found Bedsores and Bliss at my friends' house in Vermont (on the land where tender lives) and read it in the bathtub, laughing and sobbing. Two years ago I started making recordings of various sounds out in the world to bring the world to you: owls hooting, the sounds of spring in Frick park near blue slide, the Allegheny River flowing, the starlings chattering up a storm in the bamboo stand by the apollo stairs near your now home. I didn't share them in part because of this scattered brain that I have, but also because I was unsure if you'd want them, or if they'd be painful reminders of things you were missing, my own unimportance. We live with so much fear which keeps us separate from connection (to ourselves, others, the world), living, peace, possibility. In knowing that you are coming off the vent tonight and the reality of your no longer being with us and with yourself/your body, I regret letting fear keep me from possibility (of sharing a generous desire, of you hearing those starlings that are so close but out of your reach, of you knowing that I was and have been thinking of you and loving you). I see how your decision to come off the vent is you not letting fear keep you from possibility (while knowing with more certainty than we are ever able to have the loss that comes with this decision). Thank you for letting me be a part of caring for you so briefly when I was able. I'm holding you and the careforce with so much love, tenderness, and wishing all the ease for all of you.

Geke van Dijk from London wrote on January 30, 2026 at 12:48 pm

Dear Hannah, every exchange with you has always been a joyful, warm and insightful experience. Thank you. We'll keep you in our hearts. Go in peace.

Terri Allen from Floyd Knobs, Indiana wrote on January 30, 2026 at 12:34 pm

Dear Hanna, We don't know each other but I was lucky enough to find you through a mutual friend Arti. I have loved and cared for you from afar. Thank You for being you and sharing yourself with us. You are such a beautiful inspiration. Sending light and love to you and your family. See you on the other side. Love, Terri

Dawn Lehman from Pittsburgh wrote on January 30, 2026 at 11:58 am

Dear one, my heart is with you. I hold tenderness for the unfolding ahead and I draw strength from your legacy of love and liberation.

Sara Cantor from Chicago wrote on January 30, 2026 at 11:38 am

Hanna was one of my first students, but she taught me much more than I taught her. I will always remember her saying, "The answers are in that place." In other words, you cannot make assumptions about anyone or anything from afar. Proximity is what matters. I carry this with me and feel indebted to her great wisdom and spirit. Thank you Hanna, the world will not be the same without you, but many, many people will carry on your voice.

Sophia wrote on January 30, 2026 at 11:08 am

Dear Hanna - what a privilege to know you and to have learned from you. Thank you for inviting all of us at DSI into a conversation on what it means to be in community, to use our gifts in service of others, and to believe in the possibility of realizing a better future for all. Through your teaching and sharing, you taught us how to invite each other into conversation and relationship with honesty, vulnerability, humility, and so much care. To this day, I often return to the Seeds Weeds and Stones framework you shared as a tool to make sense of the world and the many challenges we face. Your memory will echo in the work of social designers and communities for many years to come and continue to have a profound impact. Thank you for the gift of your teaching and presence. May you rest in peace. With care and deep gratitude, Sophia

Karina Davila from Orlando, FL wrote on January 30, 2026 at 10:37 am

Hanna - As I read through your letter I am deeply saddened by the cruelty of the world we live in...but at the same time I am in awe of the beauty of the moments we get to share with each other. I have been thinking about you this week and it is hard for me not to burst into tears because even though I didn't get to share as many moments with you as others may have, the time we spent together at SVA touched my life more than you can imagine. You transformed my way of thinking and being to my very core. You have made an impact not only on me, but on my son and subsequently on his future generations. Thank you so much for sharing yourself with us and I pray that your transition is peaceful, full of light and beauty. And, may peace be ever abundant to your family and friends. With love, Karina

Marc Rettig from Pittsburgh wrote on January 30, 2026 at 10:29 am

We received a lovely collective message from the 2016 cohort of the "Design for Social Innovation" program. You can view it here. Thank you Alex, Amer, Azmina, Barbara, Bruno, Caroline, Claire, David, Emily, Kara, Kyle, Grace, Hannah, Ivan, Lauren, Maia, Manolo, Margaarita, Nazli, Sultana, Rinat, Rodrigo, Yinman, Yena. Those were early days for that course, and while we can never fully understand what it meant to you, also you can't know what it really meant to us to partner with your eager, open, loving engagement with difficult invitations from us. I know Hanna carries a blossom in her heart for each of you, and I feel a stirring of love just typing your names here. Thank you.