Remembering Our Mom

Our mom, Robin Walsh, loved nature and being outdoors. She raised us in a home on the edge of a forest by a stream, and our happiest memories are there with her. As we grew up, we each found joy in places that reminded us of our childhood haven. When we moved to Boston, that place became the Arnold Arboretum.

Alongside our mom in her wheelchair, we spent countless afternoons gazing toward the Arboretum's treetops that touched the sky. We "off-roaded" on its conifer footpaths and pointed out every peregrine falcon, hawk, blue heron, or owl we could spot. (There were always countless robins leading us along each path, too.) We breathed in the Arboretum's scented lilacs on Mother's Day weekends. We enjoyed sunsets over Peter's Hill, eyes on our Boston skyline. We brought the littlest ones to the waterfalls and taught them the secret paths Mom had helped us find.

When she had to leave us earlier this week, we knew we wanted to honor her life in a way that would've brought her joy and comfort. We are hoping to gather donations towards the purchase of a bench at the Arnold Arboretum in her honor. All money raised will benefit the Arboretum's preservation and cultivation of its magnificent landscape that our mom loved so dearly.

Purchasing a bench in our mother's honor costs $10,000. Any donation toward this goal is deeply appreciated.