The sudden loss of everything in Hattie Mae's life causes her to have a sinking spirit. She loses everything that is important to her - her husband, her home, her car, and all of her worldly goods that she worked so hard to get. She becomes a very bitter and resentful 79 year old woman. Through Sybil, her daughter, Hattie Mae gets involved at a senior center. This eases Hattie Mae's pain and alleviates some of the tension between Sybil and her.