Poppy + Pearl Legacy
In a tiny town about 12 miles west of Milan, the scent of fresh risotto floats out an open window, filling the air with a mouthwatering warmth. The smell also serves as a memory for the family of Americans walking down the cobblestone streets: the memory of their beloved mother, grandmother, and family cornerstone. Full of love, strength, and always willing to lend a listening ear, Pearl was the kind of woman people were drawn to. Overflowing with Italian kindness and persistence, she stood as a universal best friend and a bright light to everyone who knew her.
As the family laughed their way through Pearl’s homeland, they pointed out the vibrant flowers pouring over windowsills and tried to properly pronounce “Buongiorno” to the locals they passed. With every step, they brought Pearl’s legacy full circle, reconnecting with the history that all started with her.
Almost one hundred years ago, somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean, a large steamship headed for America, carving a trail through the chilly water. The ship carried the dreams of so many families, searching for a life even just a little bit better than the ones they left behind. Onboard that ship was a mother with her small children, headed to America. One of those children was young Pearl. As she slept aboard the rocking ship, she dreamed about the life that awaited her on the other side of the ocean.
While she imagined the sweets she’d eat, the friends she’d make, and the home their family would live in, Pearl had no idea of the struggles that awaited her in America. She couldn’t have known that years down the line, women carrying her genes would stand on the mountaintops she lifted them onto. With every inch the ship moved towards shore, little Pearl was already building a legacy.
Years later, Pearl’s son, Mike, fell in love. In the middle of Michigan, Mike and Mary built a legacy of their own, sharing Pearl’s love and spirit with their three children: Kara, Danielle, and Michelle. When Pearl left this earth, she had not yet met her granddaughters. Gone too soon to pass on her wisdom in person, she left traces of herself behind, like the Italian soil stuck to her shoes when she first came to America. These pieces of her spirit serve as a living road map, directing her loved ones back to where their family’s journey began.
Mike and Mary live out Pearl’s example every day when they encourage their children to work hard and be kind. They see glimpses of Pearl in their daughters when they step out in bravery towards new adventures. The three girls see snapshots of her every time their father says, “You get that from your grandmother.”
When Kara, Danielle, and Michelle all planned outdoor weddings, they felt their grandmother in the sunshine that warmed their faces all day. Regardless of what the weather forecast predicted, Pearl was there in the light.
The whole family sees Pearl on Christmas day each year, when they gather together to eat homemade ravioli and share the same stories they’ve told and heard a hundred times. She is there at the table in the bright-eyed faces of her two great-granddaughters, Lennon and Kinsley, who will someday realize that all of this—everything from the ravioli to the loud laughter and audacious spirit—is in their blood, too.
Even decades later, she is there with them every day, the common thread that holds the family together.
In the summer of 2019, Danielle returned from her family’s trip to Italy rejuvenated and ready to embark on her greatest adventure yet. In the middle of Michigan, four thousand miles from her family’s homeland, Danielle chased a dream and opened her own salon. Fueled by the tenacity, love, and fearlessness that has been passed down through generations, she decided to honor her grandmother the best way she knew how: by being brave.
The day the Poppy & Pearl sign was officially hung up, Danielle was surrounded by the people who have supported her since the beginning: her family. As she stood gazing up at it, waves of gratitude welled up in her heart. While this business venture was a decision all her own, Danielle would not have been able to accomplish this dream alone. Without the path Pearl paved, the love Mike and Mary endlessly offered, or the endless support of Danielle’s sisters and husband, Poppy & Pearl would not be a reality. To Danielle and her family, that sign is an indicator of so much more than a salon; it’s another milestone in their rich, ever-growing, and adventure-filled family history.
Today, Poppy & Pearl is both a reflection and continuation of Pearl’s legacy. It stands as a tribute to a woman who braved an ocean and a whole new world as a small child, who fought hardship and loss throughout her adulthood, and who still chose family and love above all else.
