1. Born with a Loaf of Bread

How the World Prospers

My grandmother, the late Althea Thomas of Kunkle, Pennsylvania, had a saying, “Every baby is born with a loaf of bread.” She would say this to comfort someone expecting a new addition to the family who was perhaps worrying about family finances. I suppose the phrase would be the antidote to the less comforting, “One more mouth to feed.” I think it’s a nice saying; it’s soothing and optimistic. Oddly, it has stuck in my head from the first day that I heard it repeated, and I have long wondered why that is. In fact, there is much more to that old adage than just kind, matriarchal reassurance.

It is a wonderful saying because it is absolutely true. And if everyone could just understand ...

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