Two Southern Belles were sitting on the wide porch of a grand, white-pillared mansion on a warm summer afternoon. The cicadas were buzzing in the distance, the rocking chairs creaked gently back and forth, and both ladies were sipping tall glasses of sweet iced tea with lemon. They chatted about family, friends, and all the…

[start-read-more]Two Southern Belles were sitting on the wide porch of a grand, white-pillared mansion on a warm summer afternoon. The cicadas were buzzing in the distance, the rocking chairs creaked gently back and forth, and both ladies were sipping tall glasses of sweet iced tea with lemon. They chatted about family, friends, and all the little things that make Southern life charming.

The first lady, clearly quite proud of her life, leaned forward with a smile. “You know, darling,” she began, “when my first child was born, my husband was so delighted that he had this entire mansion built just for me. Every column, every brick, all in celebration of our little blessing.”The second lady smiled politely, nodded her head slowly, and said sweetly, “Well, isn’t that nice?”The first woman, enjoying the moment, went on. “And when my second child was born, he wanted to do something even more special. So he bought me that shiny new Cadillac sitting out front. Can you imagine? Every time I drive it, I think of how generous he is.”

Again, the second lady gave a polite smile, took another slow sip of her tea, and replied, “Well, isn’t that nice?”By now the first lady was positively glowing with pride. “And when my third child was born,” she added dramatically, holding up her wrist so the sunlight sparkled on it, “he gave me this dazzling diamond bracelet. Can you believe it? Nothing but the very best for his wife.”

The second lady rocked back gently in her chair, her eyes sparkling with quiet amusement. Once more she said softly, “Well, isn’t that nice?”The first lady, curious and a little impatient, finally leaned in closer. “And tell me, dear, what did your husband give you when your first child was born?”The second lady leaned back in her chair, a sly smile playing on her lips, and replied…[end-read-more]