The Total Femme

As I mentioned last week, I recently received a beautiful gift from Aileen Ochoa, a dear friend of tatiana de la tierra, about whom I posted in 2017. Aileen sent these gorgeous photos and also agreed to write a guest post for Femme Friday, which is below.

Deep gratitude to Aileen for her love of tatiana, for sharing her memories, and for continuing to celebrate tatiana and keep her memory and art alive.

Tatiana was larger than life in so many ways.  From the moment I met her during her presentation at Miami Book Fair International I felt awestruck, inspired and full of admiration. As chance would have it, I helped her coordinate an event for Latina Lesbians that weekend and promised her that next time she was in Miami, I would organize a reading of her work at my home.  A few years passed and we kept in touch.  On one of her trips to Miami we went boating and swimming and played in the waves of the ocean as if we were part of a pod of mermaids.  I so treasure that memory.  I did keep my promise, and delivered a yard full of beautiful, bohemian women who also march to their own drumbeat.  The following Sunday was Mother’s day and I had a traditional luncheon which Tatiana and her mother attended.  We read “The Gift” and shared magical moments together.

After her passing, Tatiana’s mother sent me an envelope with the attached photos.  Tatiana wherever you are I celebrate you and will forever hold you ever so dear in my heart.

With so much Love,

Aileen

Aileen Ochoa, was born and raised in Miami and has lived in Mexico and Texas. After completing her Bachelor’s Degree in Liberal Arts, she joined the US Army where she served in the Public Affairs Office writing, producing and hosting both a television and radio program. After obtaining her Master of Arts Degree in Communication from Barry University in 2000 and completing an internship at MTV Latino, she worked as the Coordinator of Community Affairs at Miami Dade College. She went on to create Communication by Design, where she did public relations and event marketing work for notable clients such as BMW, Chivas Regal, Audi, Art Basel, Miami Book Fair International and Miami International Film Festival. Aileen is currently a full time Professor of Communications at Miami Dade College and does theatrical production work for Romanza Lyric Opera, a non-profit, which she co-founded.

Every Friday, I showcase a queer femme goddess. I want to feature you (or your friend)! Write to me at thetotalfemme@gmail.com and let me shine a spotlight on your beautiful, unique, femme story! If you’ve written a femme story or poem or song, oh, please let me post it!

At the Total Femme, my intention is to post three times a week: Meditations for Queer Femmes on Monday, Pingy-Dingy Wednesday on Wednesday, and Femme Friday on Friday. Rather than play catch-up in a stressful fashion on those weeks when life prevents posting, I have decided to just move gaily forward: if I miss a Monday, the next post will be on Wednesday, and so on. Thank you, little bottle of antibiotics for inspiring me in this! (“…if it’s almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and continue your regular dosing schedule. Don’t take a double dose to make up for a missed one.”) And…as I go through graduate school and life life life, I will post as I am able, Mabel.