Confessions of a Retired Pastor

Confessions of a Retired Pastor

The Way We Honored My Mother Made Me Think

Why is it easier for us to come together to celebrate a life after it has ended than it is to come together to build wealth while we are still living?

DeForest B. Soaries, Jr.'s avatar
DeForest B. Soaries, Jr.
Apr 01, 2026
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My mother was a fashionista.

She loved to dress, and because she loved to dress, she loved to shop. Presentation mattered to her. Style mattered. Looking good was not optional—it was part of how she moved through the world. She had a way of being remembered—not just for how she looked, but for how she made people feel.

When I launched DFREE® in 2005, she …

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