My mother would cry about my blindness and the hopelessness of my ever seeing, but I told her I wasn't sad. I believed God had something for me to do.

Mama was my greatest teacher, a teacher of compassion, love and fearlessness. If love is sweet as a flower, then my mother is that sweet flower of love.

I used to say that if something happened to my mother, I wanted to die with her. That's because I loved her so much. I want to live so I can carry out the essence of what she has shown me: kindness and goodness.

[With all the no-shows, it was up to an old vet to keep up the festivities. Aretha Franklin , on hand to collect the Lena Horne Award for outstanding career achievements, brought down the house with crowd-pleasing performances of] Until You Come Back to Me ... Respect.

When you're moving in the positive, your destination is the brightest star.

So What the Fuss,