Book excerpt: More than just a simple chronology of dates and facts, this touching biography about the author's beloved mother, Kakki, captures both her spirit and her heart and demonstrates how any person is really an extraordinary person. It presents a lively account of a warmly human woman living an ordinary life with its good times and bad times and dealing with whatever life gives her. These remarkable stories span five decades of life shared by mother and daughter. The retelling of the mother/daughter role reversal that occurred after Kakki's manifestation of Alzheimer's is handled with grace and dignity. A woman with both a strong moral compass and firm Christian beliefs, Kakki leaves an incredible legacy for her child. A fluid and natural storyteller, C.D. Collins shares what she has learned about the human heart and its resilience in this unique memoir of a well-loved mother, whose example made a strong case for motherhood being the highest calling of all.