Tina Osso

Osso, Tina

If you are reading this, it must mean that I've moved on to the next thing... whatever that may be. As my mom used to lovingly say I was born backward on 9/23/1953 which set me up for approaching life in a unique way. So, it seems fitting that I approached my exit on 7/2/2025 in the same way, with my eyes wide open and clarity of mind to write this last thing. When you reach a certain age, you read the obituaries of people you never knew. If they are long, you can glean a bit about them, short ones are usually no more than 2 or 3 lines. Whether long or short, obits are a way to say goodbye. So in writing this, my final essay, I thought I would give you a flavor of my life rather than recite the exact details. I was second generation from a (relatively) medium sized Italian Catholic family, loud, boisterous, funny, maddening and mostly all gone besides my son and some cousins down south. I never quite fit in anywhere, a strong willed control freak, but those folks who were my friends were fast and true human beings. A flaming liberal, so out of place in a conservative town, I relished poking at the beast, starting with protests against the Vietnam war, racism and for women's rights. Having spent my young adult years in a haze of, shall we say, pharmaceuticals, I did some pretty stupid things, and one of those things landed me in trouble with the law. This was a pivotal moment for me, as apparently I needed a punch in the face to make me listen to my heart. Because of that, in my late 20's I discovered my life's mission and spent the next 45 years fighting a battle that I knew could not be won, at least in my lifetime, but loving every minute of it. As an aging hippie, those early experiences continued to inform how I lived my life and ultimately how I raised my son, Monjoni. Who, by the way, turned out to be a wonderful, caring man, in tune with the challenges of his time and, in true liberal fashion, working to change his world to one of equality, opportunity and justice. Momma couldn't be more proud. I was forever grateful for that divine punch as it set me on a path to a wonderful, if unusual, life and I enjoyed every minute of it. I hope, when your journey reaches it's destination, you can say the same thing. Everything we experience, the good and the bad, gives us the life we live. It is what we do with those things that makes life worth living. To celebrate my life and to make a difference in other peoples lives, please consider making a donation to Shared Harvest Foodbank, 5901 Dixie Hwy, Fairfield, OH 45014. There will be a celebration of life service held at Shared Harvest on Saturday, August 9th 2025 from 2PM-6PM, at the hunger awareness center behind the warehouse. May you live long and prosper, one to beam up Mr. Scott.