With God's Blessing

The Smith Family's tradition on Sundays was to sit around the dining room table after dinner and hear Daddy and Momma talk about old times. You see, they were African Americans born in Staunton, VA in 1916 and 1918 during difficult times. But they expected that God would make a way! They had so many stories. Sometimes we had a good laugh, many times we would cry and yet other times it was almost unbelievable what they went through in an unfair and unjust society. We were mesmerized and amazed how our parents maneuvered and thrived the 20th Century. We were in awe of how they maintained their dignity and achieved so much in the face of so many obstacles and challenges. But "With God's Blessing" (this is the name they gave to the collection of stories that made up their life experiences), the impossible happened over and over. These life lessons we want our children's children to read and learn. We are also sure that each reader can appreciate and learn something from their life stories. Though there are many celebrated books and articles about the lifestyle of African Americans during the 20th Century, the story of Irving and Jane Smith is interesting and compelling.