And it would have to be August, because our cherry summers taught us that the sweetest cherries were in August. And I would wrap the crate up in gift paper, and put a bow on it and present it to grandma. And many a night I would go to sleep in the cold winters of Brunswick, Maine, warmed by the vision of my grandmother's look of excitement when I brought her this small treasure. Grandma died my sophomore year in college. I never got to give her all the cherries she could ever eat.
Poverty is tough on families in so many ways.
It is not quite as simple to get out of poverty as people make out. We must be careful to make sure we build ladders so children and families can climb out of poverty. It's not an easy climb. You can climb all your life and never make it out. And so, in thanking you for this honor, I want to dedicate my work to my mother who is here with us today in the audience.