The Yolonda Address

Two score and seventeen years ago,  

our family was blessed with a new sister—  

a twin flame kindled in a hearth as wide as ours.

You stepped into motherhood with open arms,  

wearing duty like silk, grace like dawn,  

and grit like the roots that hold mountains steady.

“Family first” became your quiet creed,  

a vow etched deep in every dawn you greet.

An aura of faith and truth crowns your brow,  

a golden brooch of goodness forever pinned  

above the steady compass of your heart.

You co-authored the sacred book of work ethic,  

pages written in calloused hands and quiet resolve.

Beauty lingers in your gaze, deepening with time—  

more exquisite than the rarest vintage,  

aging not into shadow, but into richer light.

Each morning you rise, gratitude your first prayer,  

a devotion no pontiff could rival in its purity.

On this special day, I speak for us all:  

the heavens smiled the moment you whispered “yes”  

to our brother, weaving yourself into our story forever.

Happy birthday, Yolonda—  

with love and admiration from one of your biggest fans,  

- Joe