India Summer Love

Do not stand at my grave and weep,
I am not there, I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glint on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you wake in the morning hush,
I am the swift, uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circling flight.
I am the soft starlight at night.
Do not stand at my grave and weep.
I am not there, I do not sleep.

~ Mary Elizabeth Frye

Everybody has a light. Some people’s lights shine just a little brighter. India Summer Deibler-Love was one of those people. She was a much beloved daughter, sister, niece, cousin, granddaughter, wife, mother, friend and inspiration to many. From the time she was just a little girl up until the day she died, people were drawn to her. She was not only physically beautiful–and stunningly so–she had a beautiful spirit too, and a depth of character that was magnetic. She was kind and generous, and a true champion for the underdog.

India also had a terrific sense of humor–always up for a laugh, but never at another’s expense. She had an emotional maturity that was beyond her physical years. When you hear the term “old soul,” India immediately comes to mind. She was a nurturer, with a softness that made people feel safe with her. She was born to be a mother, and it showed. Her ability to be fully present with her children was admirable.

Tragically, India died by suicide on November 19th, 2023, leaving behind many broken-hearted friends and family members from around the world who continue mourning her loss to this day. She experienced severe childhood abuse in her formative years by someone her family trusted. The abuse she endured as a child came back to haunt her after she and her husband experienced the trauma of almost losing their 15-month-old son to bacterial meningitis in early 2023.

Due in large part to the stigma that still exists around trauma and mental illness, India kept her abuse a secret to most everyone who knew her. Despite being loved and respected by so many, she wasn’t able to accept her worth, and internalized her pain until it became too much to bear.

Her family believes that if she’d been able to acknowledge that she needed help, and if they’d known more about how to help her, she’d still be alive today. With the support of a core group of friends and family members, India’s husband Jason, and her mother Christine created the India Love Sunflower Foundation to: help remove the stigma around mental health by raising awareness and providing assistance, support, resources, and education to individuals, families, and communities in need.

During the last two years of her life, and with her devoted husband by her side, India and Jason created The Lucky Wolf theater and cafe in the small but vibrant Paw Paw, Michigan community. India envisioned The Lucky Wolf, which is an integral partner for the Foundation, as a safe space for people of all walks to come together and build community surrounded by the arts, good coffee, tasty food, and natural wines. As one local fan noted, the Lucky Wolf has become the “cultural epicenter of Paw Paw.”

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India and her husband Jason met and bonded with world-renowned Irish musician, singer and songwriter, Damien Rice at the 2016 and 2018 PEOPLE festivals in Berlin, where India played a key role as the festival “kidnapper.” India would randomly select individuals to be (willingly) “kidnapped” and then taken to a special room where those lucky people were treated to a very special and intimate performance by some of of the festivals’ top musicians and bands. This experience, and the entire festival, was for many, absolutely transcendent.

The production team for the events included Tom and Nadine Michelberger, Chryde of Blogotheque, Vincent Moon, Damien Rice, Justin Vernon (of Bon Iver), Mary Hickson and others. A reproduction of the mural India helped paint for the festivals can be seen on the side of The Lucky Wolf theater and cafe in Paw Paw, Michigan.

Damien wrote the following poem in India’s honor just days after her death.

dear india,

thank you for opening the window,
for letting in the air,
for allowing us all a moment
to forget our wares and worries
and those things that hurry us into uncomfortable versions of ourselves

thank you for lightening the load
with your wide wings—
always ready with a yes and an idea,
always willing the willingness to play,
and play well and deeply,
and widely and wildly

thank you for your brightness
and those generous hands
that led people through the darkness
into the unknown,
knowing only that something about you made them feel that following you was a really good idea

thank you for imprinting the air
so deeply with your presence
that i can feel you here, now, somehow,
and i see that contagious smile
ready for what’s next—
readying us to be
free

love,
damien