The Lady In Red: A Tribute to Cool V

Dec 18
4 min read

Every Thursday, we honor those who have transitioned not with sorrow alone, but with remembrance, truth, and living legacy. This tribute is shared in the voice, spirit, and memories of a daughter honoring her mother, affectionately known as Cool V- The Lady in Red.

A Daughter's First Memory

One of the earliest memories of Cool V feels more like a scene than a moment. She would wake the household up at 3 a.m. sharp, like a drill sergeant, declaring that everyone needed to stay in shape. My siblings and I would look one another confused like in shape for what? None of us were overweight. Still, that was Cool V disciplined, alert, and already preparing her children for a world that required strength long before it explained why.

Three Words That Say It All

LADY IN RED

This was a statement of Cool V's energy and personality. Not just a color, not just a presence but a symbol of her boldness her strength her power and this made her unforgettable and regal.

The Small Things That Meant Everything

Cool V had a way of traveling through the phone. Even while her one of her daughters was at work, she could be felt. Her voice carried pride so strong you could feel her smile, her hugs, and her kisses. "Yall hear Little showing off on the forklift?" That pride was loud, it was warm, and it was love in its purest form.

Lessons Never Spoken, Yet Fully Lived & Love Without Conditions

Cool V embodied what it meant to be healed, delivered, redeemed, liberated, vindicated, and set free. Her children remember her teaching them a song she made called "To the Right" simply because she could no longer see to the left. That, too was a lesson you adjust, you keep going and you teach from where you are not from what's missing. Cool V showed up. She didn't gossip, she didn't betray family. In fact she welcomed people into her home when they had nowhere else to go. Even exes were still welcomed to her table love didn't disappear just because relationships changed. Her love was always and is UNCONDITIONAL. During the final week of her life, her daughter (Awesome) was blessed to be present, fully present. She bathed her mother, dressed her, medicated, comforted her, and protected her. When illness blurred reality and fear crept in, reassurance replaced panic. When Cool V believed ice cream was on her hands Awesome was able to reassure her by gently washing her hands, lovingly teased and gently calming her and promised her they could enjoy the ice cream together. "Stop crying, my lady." YOU ARE SAFE! This was the unconditional love in action, devotion, this was sacred memories that Awesome says she will never forget.

Values That Live On

Cool V's legacy is alive in the values she instilled.

Respect- is earned not given
Integrity- is standing firm in truth whatever your truth is.
Empathy- knowing how to guide without judgement
Compassion- have it for everyone without expectation
Forgiveness- forgive quickly be sincere with forgiveness and through forgiveness make sure you heal.
Peace- the kind that surpasses understanding
Knowledge & Wisdom- spiritual, intuitive, lived
Grace- smile even when going through battles unseen
Charity- serve from the heart not the ego.
Healing & Restoration- she living proof that transformation is possible and powerful.
Generational Wealth- ensure dignity beyond life

These values didn't end with her transition the multiplied.

The Lady in Red Lives On

(A life remembered & A Love Continued)

Cool V lived for her five children after losing her husband in 1983. She carried grief quietly, loved loudly and showed up constantly from Juneteenth parades to the everyday moments that mattered most. Her life was a gift of love, given freely and without condition to everyone she crossed paths with. For her daughter Awesome, grief is not despair it is peace. To mourn is to be comforted. To understand that rest is not loss. To know that peace is not divided. In order for her mother to rest in peace, Awesome learned how to live in peace.

If one moment could be relieved, it would be the final night at hospice not from regret, but from love. Simply being closer. Yet even without that exact moment, the blessing still remains. There was no unfinished words. Flowers were given while they could still be received. Songs were sung, love was exchanged fully, & that to is a gift.

When cancer entered the picture, anger gave way to understanding. From 2014 to 2017, healing was happening in ways unseen. Loss transformed into deeper love, louder living, and unshakable strength. Doors are still open to those in need. Rooms are still greeted first. There is still dancing, singing shared songs, and speaking Cool V's name daily. The love Awesome and Cool V shared remains and Cool V's energy remains.

Awesome wants the world to know that she once made a promise to her mom to build her a house, and now that promise has expanded. Now a Kingdom is being built. Love does not end with physical absence. It evolves. It teaches patience, discernment, and genuine connection. The bond between mother and daughter remains unbreakable.

To those who are grieving, understand that grief looks different for everyone. Peace comes when we embrace physical absence while honoring eternal presence. Celebrate them, include them, and become everything they hoped you would be. Their guidance still speaks if you listen.

Lady In Red, we made it. Your name, your energy, and your legacy is Never in vain.