She always had a smile on her face and was a joy to be around. I'll miss that contagious laugh. Joe Gottbrath

A POEM FOR MY MAMA

Sister, Mama
Aunt Connie and Gi
Our Con Con, our Connie
Our illuminati

Easter Egg Hunts
A houseful of guests
A cool Whiskey Slush
Her parties were best!

Rummy and friendship
Laughter and smack talk
A few middle fingers
A fuck you or two

She always was there for you
A phone call, a card
She celebrated your birthday
And she made you laugh hard

Independent and strong
Courageous and brave
Resilience, Tenacity
Her two middle names

A prankster
A jokester
A Virginia Slim
toker

A hottie, a model
A bona fide Queen
From homecoming to pageants
Her likes never seen

Her beauty, her wit
Her charisma, her charm
She did unto others
And never did harm

She was feisty and fiery
Sarcastic and sly
She found it easy to laugh
and easy to cry

A tough cookie from birth
Her life wasn’t easy
But she damn well made it her own
And…she made her eggs cheesy :)

She loved wine and martinis
And meeting up with her girls
From Vegas to Indy
She took many a twirl

This was my Mother.
My Mama. Our Gi!
She taught us to love
And to laugh and to BE

She loved Video Poker
And Bridge games all day
Her faith was unwavering
She knew how to pray

Her home was a welcoming
Safe zone for all
From Log Cabin to Lyndon
To the Highlands et al

A mind full of genius
Sarcasm and wit
If she had something to say
She said it with grit

Design skills unmatched
Her style impeccable
Her clothing and home
Absolutely Exceptional

Always up for adventure
She’d pack a cooler and go
She lived life to the fullest
And opposed the word “no”

A caregiver, a friend
She’d give the shirt off her back
She was loving and generous
Wanted no one to lack

She and her sister
Her sister and she
Together forever
And ever they’ll be

It’s almost as if
we can’t see them apart
Two minds and two foul mouths
Yet from the same heart

Pat and Connie
Connie and Pat
Those “sisters” are mighty
No doubt about that

Nephews and Nieces
Kids, Grandkids and Friends
She loved every one of us
A love that won’t end

Her brother in law, Leslie
Her strength every day
From Hiseville to Louisville
There’s so much to say

Chris and Steven,
she loved them each as her own
From babies to teens
to men fully grown

Their wives and their kids
She adored them all too
A family will grow
When it’s love that you do

With her son in law John
She shared many a joke
Making fun of her daughter
Oh, so much fun they could poke

Booker and Riley, she witnessed
both of their births
Her grandsons she loved
From the moon to the earth

But her soul mate, her partner
This was the love of her life
Her Stuart, forever
Her husband, his wife

Sun-chasers and prisms
All rainbows of light
To cross over her threshold
Was quite a delight

She loved Jesus and God
And all prophets of love
She knew most of all
She’d meet her maker above

A third eye for the mystic
Her visions were real
She connected to others
That was always her deal

Her Mama, her Sister,
Cindy, Barb, her best mates
We know they will greet her
At those Heavenly Gates

So Dear Lord in Heaven
We pray that you might
Take our Gi in your arms
And hold her so tight

Let her know how we love her
How we’ll do our best to go on
Living, laughing and loving
Facing our troubles head on

Amen.