“My name is Pearline. I am named after my grandmother. I grew up in Leland, Mississippi, but live in St. Louis now. A lot of my family ended up there. My brother just got out of the hospital and I came down to check on him. I love the Mississippi Delta and this will always be who I am. I am taking 6 dozen tamales back to St. Louis. I am a breast cancer survivor. The hardest part was losing my hair. The chemo never bothered me and I want back to work in the afternoon. I didn’t ask for it, but it was okay. The death of my mama three years ago was much harder on me. She taught me how to cook and to be a young lady. I miss her every day. The older I get the more I look like her.”
Good enough isn’t an option. It’s got to be the best I can do.
“I even make my sandwich backwards. I put my bottom piece here and my bun here. And then whenever I eat it, my bottom...
As I have gotten older when I look in the mirror I say, “Mama what are you doing in there?”
It is nice to be able to see her in me and gives me a feeling that we are not separated but always together.