Emerging from the kitchen with a tray of hot tea, cups, and pastries, I heard the conversation shift to our time together and the purpose of Mama’s visit this morning.

Seated and sipping tea and nibbling on her pastry, Mama looked at me and said,
“Mr. Jim, are you ready to hear a little story about some birthing?”

“Sure, Mama.”

“You know, Mama’s brought a lot of souls into this world and I’ve also helped just about as many leave. I’ve lost count of all my babies ‘cause I started this work when I was nineteen. So that’s almost sixty years now, so many babies. My parents were born slaves and all the black folks had their babies at home. My mama used to take me to the birthings when I was just a girl. I learned a lot about how babies come and sometimes they don’t all come the same. I’ve seen a lot of babies born breech and I’ve seen some real miracles. My mama taught me a few miracles and one of them is how to get a baby to turn. Would you like to know how, Mr. Jim? ‘Cause it’s the daddy that has to be the one to do it.”