Good-bye, Ms. Rivers

I will miss Joan Rivers.
Okay, no, I wasn’t a fan of her more graphic stage material, but I was and am a MAJOR fan of Ms. Rivers herself.  Talk about chutzpah, talk about courage.
Her career took at least one nose-dive.
She went broke.
She lost her husband to suicide. 
But she didn’t quit.  Oh, no.  She started over and completely rebuilt her entire life–and, ladies and gentlemen, that took guts. 
I will miss watching her on QVC, miss her lovely jewelry–I own a lot of it–and the tasteful clothes sold under her label.  She was one snazzy dresser, that woman.  Her books made me laugh AND cry.  She was a trouper, to use a show biz term.
I never had the honor of meeting the lady, but I’ve ridden with a limo driver who has.  Like many celebrities, I’m told, Ms. Rivers was nothing like her stage-persona; instead, she was formidibly intelligent, well-spoken, polite, generous, and kind.  She certainly proved that she was a crackerjack business woman over the years.  And she loved her little dogs–I’m sure her daughter, Melissa, is looking after them.
Godspeed, Funny Lady, and thank you for the laughs and the lessons.