(A poem written to honor the Life of Gladys Long, a friend of my family for almost 70 years)
An Angel Amongst Us
Born on Christmas Day,

 there is no doubt 
That an angel she was on a long term leave from heaven
Her love was felt by 

all those she touched 
A lady and gentle soul through and through
Giving a smile and a thank you to everything we did 
To every time we included her in our lives
Always giving a beautiful smile, compliment and hug
She was a teacher too, showing us how to be brave in the face of challenges
Showing us how to be strong when we may felt weak 
Reminding us what courage really looked like
For my children, she was a hero, who taught them through her actions more than her words 
To Gladys, we all were her family and she wanted to be there for all the important things in our lives
A mother to all the children of her life, all of us hers, although none of us were
What a gift, what a special soul.
And her husband Herb, a man standing by her side for 68 wonderful years
She was as gracious to him as she was to us all. 
While we may be sad for our loss, we really must feel blessed for how long God allowed Gladys to stay
To teach us of love, of family, of grace each and every day
To share her love of life, her love of everything we held dear
Gladys we love you now 

and will every passing year.
Gordon Martin July 15, 2016