Mirthe

An Unlikely Story

When her mother went into the final stages of labor at Sint Lucas Andreas Ziekenhuis hospital in Amsterdam, Netherlands, her eyes focused on a group of trees she saw through the window of her room. It was those trees she credits for getting her past the rough spots until the baby was delivered and laid next to her to hold and welcome.

Before leaving the hospital she and her husband had to name their baby girl for the certificate. They had picked a boys and girls name over the nine months but all that changed in a instant. Mama asked the attendant if he knew the name of the trees outside the window. Myrtle he answered. He actually said Mirthe which is the Dutch word for the Myrtle tree. That felt so right to both parents. All these years later there is Mirthe in Manhattan, New York miles away from Amsterdam modeling in a Bergdorf window display. If you happen to walk past the display and catch the light in the window at just the right angle it appears as if she is surrounded by trees. Her parents would love this vision.