The Goodwill Circle at Mama's church was having a tea so Mama cajoled and pleaded until I agreed to go.

"They want me to come so bad and I hate to disappoint them," she explained.

Well, of course, we wouldn't want them to be disappointed. So, we went.

My goodness, how beautiful it was with each table decorated in a specific theme and the kind of delicious food that Southern women have perfected.

We played a couple of little games and though I'm embarrassed to admit it, my mama was caught cheating at a Christian women's tea. She looked on someone else's paper for the answers. It was not my family's proudest moment.

It turns out that the tea was a recruitment event to bring in new members. Now, I believe that Goodwill Circles are one of the finest accents of Southern culture. When times are sad, the love of good people encircle you with goodwill. Nothing feels better than that. Not even perfect cashmere.

During deaths in our family, one of our most difficult tasks has been finding time to schedule all the Goodwill Circles who wanted to bring food and then finding a place to put all those casseroles, hams and chicken.

You know that a woman is a true Southerner if she has at least five recipes that call for cream of mushroom soup. Personally, I have a couple of dozen such recipes.

That afternoon, officers took turns explaining all that Circle members do such as preparing the annual Poor Man's Supper (soup beans, cornbread and buttermilk), which proves to be very rich with the revenue it produces; taking food to the ill and bereaved and the ever powerful prayer chain.

"We put you on a list then call you to alert you when we need food or to start the prayer chain," the vice president said.

I listened, thinking how useless I would be to these good women since my travel schedule is so hectic. I raised my hand.

"Yes?"

"If we join, do we have to cook and pray?" I asked.

Laughter rippled across the room while Mama gave me one of those wait-until-we-get-home-young-lady looks.

The vice president laughed. "No, but we hope you will. You can pray, if nothing else."

So, I paid my dues and joined. And, to be honest, I haven't been of much use to the good ladies of the Goodwill Circle. In fact, no one has bothered to call me yet. Not even to pray. That, I am sure, is nothing that I should be bragging about.

But my heart is in the right place and, if nothing else, I have shown my support for and appreciation of good women who make smiles, difficult task that is, in times of grief and sadness.

As we drove away that day, Mama said, shaking her head, "I can't believe that you joined. As much as you're gone, what good do you think you're gonna be?"

"If you didn't think I would join, why did you invite me?" I asked.

"Because I wanted to come and I didn't have no other way to get here."

So, there you have it.

I may not be of much use to the Goodwill Circle in general when it comes to praying and cooking but I am useful to one person specifically.

She doesn't care if I pray or cook, as long I drive.