Lauriehires ver 2

Laura E. Schauger

October 3rd, 1963 - November 11, 2016

Eulogy by Kaitlyn Schauger There are some people who enter your life and their presence is hardly remembered.

There are others whose influence stays with you forever.

Mom was one of those people.

I’m willing to bet for you, her imprint includes memories of laughter.

Mom was an entertainer at heart.

Be it through theatre, art, or her ever-present inappropriate jokes.

If she hasn’t ever made you blush, you hadn’t known her long enough.

Embarrassing her kids was a loved past time of hers, she did it so well….

But that’s not all she gave us.

She taught us that life is too short to be so serious all the time.

She was no stranger to darkness and sadness, she was human after all, but her best medicine was always laughter.

Mom was an amazing teacher.

Not only in teaching the basics, like how to read, which was always a cherished memory of hers, but how to be strong and stand up for yourself.

She taught us how to fight for what you believe in or stick it to the man, so to speak.

She always told me to learn from her mistakes, choosing not to spare me from the truth to protect her from judgement, but to tell all, so I might grow to understand.

As an adult, I can see how much courage it takes to be honest with yourself and own your past.

If she didn’t make you proud, you didn’t know her long enough.

She was always a true inspiration.

She didn’t just create, she felt deeply.

As strong of a soul as she was, she was not afraid to get swept up in emotion.

You could feel her passion when she danced, moving not just to the music, but feeling the essence of the song.

Her writings displayed a depth of understanding, of creativity and of a seemingly infinite vocabulary.

She could easily captivate you with her words.

If she’s never corrected your grammar, you didn’t know her long enough.

Mom was a dreamer.

Where one might see a forest or a creek, she would see Fairy Land.

She’d tell of clever fairies flitting about causing mischief and mayhem.

Where you might see a dead stick, she would see a sorcerer’s wand, or a wanderer’s cane.

She wasn’t just a mail- carrier from Buffalo, she was an English maid in the Renaissance, accent and all.

She’d always bring a bit of fantasy into reality.

She wouldn’t just read stories, her character’s had their own voices, making it so real that the characters popped out of the pages.

She showed me the magic of imagination, of creation and of play.

If she’s never made you believe, you didn’t know her long enough.

All in all, mom was a lover.

She could make friends anywhere she went.

When out with her, it felt like and episode of “Cheers.” Mama listened, she understood, she forgave, she accepted….

She had the perfect shoulders to cry on, offering a surprisingly strong embrace and a funny anecdote to lighten the mood.

Her dances with darkness didn’t harden her heart and make her bitter, it made her loving!

It made her brave enough to stand with you while you traveled your own dark path.

She sought to accept and love the whole you, so you might know that it is possible.

She sheltered the weak, the needy, the lost, be it animal or person.

She loved children, she loved animals, she loved nature and she loved people.

If she’s never made you feel loved, you didn’t know her long enough.

In loving honor of her memory, of her legacy, remember the light that she was.

Forgive her, her humanity and be grateful that such a beautiful soul has been in your life.

Let her mistakes guide you. Let her paid serve a purpose as a way to free you of your own.

She’d want nothing more for you all. She was strength, she was beauty, she was like no one else I’ve ever known.

In truth, our time with her will NEVER be long enough, but her memory will always be enough to last a lifetime!