ON THE POWER OF INFLUENCE
I’m putting together plates on my dining table. I’d just bought this whole set of royal blue sisal placemats that I know should go well with red, yellow, and blue decorated porcelain I’ve been collecting over a year. The colored glasses are complete. And, finally, the perfect printed linen napkins are discovered. I have this smile on my face while I’m putting it all together. My heart warms up with the finishing touches: I arrange the carnations in a low vase, and light the votive candle—sit down, enjoy the moment. Achievement. I know exactly why I’m into table settings as I know why this, to me, adds to my definition of a Best Life.
My mother Celia Sanchez was my renaissance woman. Determined, self-sufficient, hardworking, pathfinder. Beautiful, talented, artist, leader. Homemaker, corporate and personal guru, ally, and friend. And she made the perfectly set table for every family meal. While I carefully set the flatware, I
