Chapter 1 · Free sample
Where It All Began
Before I became the woman I am today, I was a little girl growing up in Natchez, Mississippi.
I was raised by my grandparents in a home filled with love, faith, and prayer. My mom was there as well. I want that to be clear. My grandparents kept us close, and we all loved being at Grandma’s home. That was where so much of my life happened.
My grandmother had four children: my mom, my auntie, and my two uncles. Each of them had a place in the family I grew up with.
My uncles played a huge role as father figures for us. My auntie was like a second mother. My auntie and one of my uncles have since passed away, but their place in my story remains.
Six of us children lived at Grandma’s home: my oldest brother, my oldest sister, me, my twin, my middle sister, and my younger brother. My oldest and youngest brothers were actually my first cousins—my auntie’s two sons. But Granny and Grandpa raised us together. We were siblings in the way we lived and loved one another, and that is how I speak about them.
My uncles’ children came over often, too. They did not live there with us, but they were part of our close family life.
Raising all of us was not always easy. When things got tough, my oldest brother and oldest sister got jobs to help my grandparents take care of the younger ones. Looking back, I want to give them credit for that. They helped carry responsibilities that benefited all of us.
Church was part of our upbringing. My grandfather served on the Deacon Board, and my grandmother served on the Mother Board. They taught us right from wrong and helped us understand the importance of God in our lives.
Prayer belonged in our home as well as our church.
My story began with that family, that faith, and that love. Whatever came later, those beginnings deserve to be remembered.
Thank you for reading the beginning of my story.
—Candi Bernard