Emma's Journal

“When it’s time for me to go, I just want to know that my life made a difference, Lord…”
–Emma Estes’s journal, January 1

During her long and rich life, Emma Estes had a powerful impact on the lives of countless people–from the neighborhood’s latchkey kids to the community of elderly women who all consider themselves her “best friend.” It seems the only people Emma could not reach were those in her own family.

After Emma’s death, however, something strange happens: her personal “Living on Purp...