With Open Hands

Born a slave in Georgia in 1818, Bridget 'Biddy' Mason learned to survive in a harsh world. Taken from her parents as a young child, Biddy grew up to be self-reliant and hard working. When she and her children finally found freedom in California in 1855, she turned her nursing skills into a successful career as a midwife. Even after she became a wealthy landowner in Los Angeles, Biddy never forgot her basic philosophy of sharing with others: 'The open hand is blessed,' she always said, 'for it gives in abundance, even as it receives.'