The Secret Behind a Southern Belle’s Polite Smile — And the Mother Who Discovered That Perspective Changes Everything About Family

I was sitting on the veranda of a grand mansion with tall white columns, listening to my friend Margaret proudly recount the gifts she’d received over the years as if she were reading off achievements. She motioned toward the massive house behind us and explained that when her first child was born, her husband built the entire place for her as a present.“Well, that’s lovely,” I replied. Next, she nodded toward the Cadillac parked in the driveway—her reward after their second child arrived.“How wonderful,” I said. Then she lifted her wrist to display a sparkling diamond bracelet, which she’d received…