This is the saga of love and commitment told through the eyes of soul people who see beyond the physical. It is a journey into the lives of ordinary folks in the late 1940s in rural northern Mississippi. It was a changing time for the town blacksmith Luther, his daughter Rosie, and his colored helper Paul.

It was a fire that bonded Luther and Paul. It was an ice storm that took them back to the haunting memories. It was the roses that reminded them of the beauty and love that live on.

The graying lacy mist of the morning surrounded the mourners with love as they lowered Lily’s casket into the black pit. That mystic realm beyond conscious understanding surrounded and comforted Paul’s soul. Standing beneath the old apple tree on that foggy Mississippi morning at the break of day, Paul felt strength in his weakness that told him he would survive.

Wanda Gaskin-Smith is a native of Mississippi, a blacksmith’s daughter, a student of life and a believer that we are more than mind and body. She earned her PhD in family science from Texas Woman’s University. Dr. Gaskin-Smith is a licensed professional counselor who maintains a private practice in McKinney, Texas.

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