Migration of the Spirit

: Friends, artists, donors and staff of the Androscoggin Home Care & Hospice gather at the AHCH Hospice House in Auburn following the stone garden ribbon-cutting celebration Friday. Migration of the Spirit, a collection of fused glass vessels arranged to symbolize the emotional letting go of a loved one, opened with hugs and tears. Stones originally placed in a bowl inside the Hospice House following the loss of a loved one are moved over time through the descending sequence of the five vessels. The stones eventually return to the earth at the end of a reflection trail. Glass artists Lucie Boucher and her sister Dianne Boucher spoke during the ceremony, along with Claudia Takacs, widow of Tony Takacs, the Albion artist who made each iron stand. Tony Takacs made the stands while reflecting on the death of his 24-year-old son. Tony died shortly after the stands were complete.

: Artists and sisters Dianne Boucher, left, and Lucie Boucher share their story about making the five glass vessels for the Migration of the Spirit dedication Friday at the Androscoggin Home Care & Hospice’s Hospice House in Auburn.

: Stones fill glass vessels at the stone garden at Androscoggin Home Care & Hospice’s Hospice House in Auburn on Friday. The Migration of the Spirit is a collection of fused glass vessels arranged to symbolize the emotional letting go of a loved one. Tony Takacs of Albion made the stands while reflecting on the death of his 24-year-old son. Tony died shortly after the stands were complete.

: Claudia Takacs of Albion places a stone near Migration of the Spirit on Friday. Takacs’ husband Tony is the artist who made each of the five iron stands. Tony Takacs made the stands while reflecting on the death of his 24-year-old son. Tony, himself, died shortly after the stands were complete.