my mother poor fishwanting to be happy beaten two or three times aweek telling me to be happy Henry smilewhy dont you ever smileand then she would smile to show me how and it was thesaddest smile I ever saw

Maybe this is a second doctoral program advanced learning about life death marriage mothering family faith patience prayer. My degree will be Doctor of Life and I will be in good company. So many of us earn our Doctor of Life degrees.

Sadie heard her inside cleaning up the kitchen and wondered what dreams Bettys mother had for herself if all mothers had them bottled up beneath their mother exteriors.