Indescribable Reward
What a joy it is to celebrate
Your turning eighty-two
In honor of this occasion
We’ve prepared some words for you
Although your other children
Aren’t with us here tonight
We’ve all exchanged our memories
To get these words just right
I can tell you that it’s no small task
To commemorate your life
Remarkable yet humble
As mother, worker, friend and wife
Truly born a Riegel
In Larchmont, New York state
To fine, upstanding parents
Who taught you to be great
Great in matters of the heart
Generous and kind
Teaching by example
Love for God and all mankind
The girl blossomed to a lady
Full of beauty and of grace
Elegant and quite refined
With an exceptionally lovely face
Always ready to lend a hand
Or your arms, as the case may be
You were even called Strong-Arm-Katrina
By the girls of your dormitory
At college you captured the attention
Of one veteran gone co-ed
He complimented your lovely sweater set
Or that’s rumored what was said
Henry had an eye for quality
And the finer things in life
So he wisely asked you for a date
Then later to be his wife
On June Nineteenth 1948
You and Dad exchanged “I do”
And Kit McDonnell set about
Expanding her “can-do”
The lovebirds first tried Stuebenville
At an apartment on Sunset
There you joined the Junior League
And you haven’t stopped giving yet
Your first three kids came bing, bang, boom
But you never missed a beat
When the fourth arrived in ’62
Your family was complete
By then you were in Michigan
A professional volunteer
United Way even recognized you
As their Volunteer of the Year
Valued by the UCP
As a cherished member of their board
When we heard their accolades
What an indescribable reward
For while we know that you are great
It’s still awe-inspiring for us to hear
All the ways you’ve made a difference
By contributing each year
You gave your time and talents
So New Horizons could come to be
Your diligent devotion have helped many
Rise above a disability
Even in your own life,
Nothing slows you down
Two new knees, for instance
And you’re ready to hit the town
You’re sensible and smart
Well-read and athletic, too
Articulate, energetic and focused
In everything you do
But we’d be remiss if we failed to mention
Some humorous events of past
Such as gourmet broiled bananas
That menu, its first and last
Or what about the time
Atop the car you left your keys
The whole time that you and Hank
Were at the World Series
And we love that funny story
When you put Dad in his place
His parking brake fiasco
The coffee-table’s saving grace!
I was tickled at your ritual
An entire hour before going to bed
Right before you put that postage stamp
Underneath your lovely head
It would be far easier
To continue these recollections
Than to find an appropriate place
To end our dear reflections
While the words may cease here on this page
As this poem draws to its close
Our love and admiration for you
Exceed boundaries no one knows.
We love you, Kit McDonnell,
More than we can ever say
We’re so grateful you’re our mother
On this and every day.
