Hi Angela, thanks for your thoughtful response.
You hit the nail on the head on many issues, and I thank you for that. In writing out my question, it allowed me to see my situation more clearly, and I knew that there were holes in my reasoning. I chose to continue to post my question because I didn't know what, exactly, those holes were, and was hoping someone could help me locate them. You did just that, and I thank you.
And how'd you know her name was Bertha?