My mother's first cousin has always been more like a sister to her as the two of them attended college together at N.C. A&T State University in Greensboro, joined the same sorority, Zeta Phi Beta, and then settled with their families in Greensboro after college, both working as teachers.

So Theodora Parker has been more like an aunt than a second cousin to my brother and me, and we've benefited from her creative nature.

Through her skills, often taught to my mom, we've enjoyed many handcrafted marvels, such as a macraméd hanging table, equipped with elegant lighting.

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