Rich: Aunt Fairy

Every time we sing “Precious Memories” at church or at a funeral, I think of my daddy’s Aunt Fairy, who raised him.His daddy beat him. His mama left him. So without hesitation, Aunt Fairy and Uncle Oscar took him in and raised him on their farm in the shadows of the Appalachian Trail.

Rich: World War II heroes

Tink and I were at lunch recently with a friend who began talking about his grandfather’s bravery and the medals he earned during World War II.When the war began, his grandfather was initially deferred because he was in college. A few months later, he was drafted.

Rich: The thief

The email from my literary agent popped up. He is the wonderful man who first believed in me without having read a single line I had written.

Rich: Southern rules of dinner

Tink and I had a precious friend named Roy Hodnett. Roy, the kindest and most perfect Southern gentleman, had raised his family in Virginia with his pretty wife, Anne.Roy sold cookies for a living — at least, that’s the way he always phrased it.

Story: A mother’s story

It is a line that Tink and I quote often, always with a shake of the head. We will carry it to our graves.A dear friend of ours — a successful entertainer from a storied family — had a cruel mother who left her children to figure out food, school, and life for themselves.

Rich: It isn’t funny

It weighs on my heart, and it can be sobering.Are we losing our sense of humor? Over the past few years, something has shifted.Many of our comedian friends have stopped touring. One has even become a preacher.

Rich: Spring cometh forth

Spring has arrived, and it is a beautiful sight indeed.It has been several years since we’ve truly had a spring.Too often, cold winters have given way abruptly to hot, humid days. But this year feels different.

Rich: When children outgrow you

Through the years, I’ve watched friends step back and allow their children to grow into adults. There has been very little meddling, and without exception, those children have turned into fine people.

Rich: Pictures on the wall

Coffee cup in hand, I stopped at the window and took in the beauty of a Tennessee early morning.It was all so pretty and soothing, with a perfectly manicured yard, large trees, a blackboard fence, and horses grazing.I thanked the good Lord for the opportunity to see such a pretty sight.

Rich: The beauty of Easter

Every Easter Sunday morning, my husband, Tink, doesn’t crawl out of bed to attend Sunrise Service.He jumps out of bed, dresses, then leans over to kiss me goodbye. “I’ll be back to get you for church,” he says softly.“Okay,” I mumble while pulling the covers up to my chin and going back to sleep.