“I grew up in Dalton, Georgia, but say I’m from Chattanooga because that’s where I lived my adult life and raised my children. I always wanted to live at the beach, so when I got the opportunity, we high-tailed it out of there.
The short version of a long story is that the first 50 years of my life, I experienced more trauma than most people go through. Girl, I’ve had them all. You name a big trauma, chances are it’s been part of my life.
My parents were childhood sweethearts, very involved in our local church. My father was a kind man, but he had a temper and didn’t treat us children the way we should’ve been treated. My middle brother was the black sheep of the family, addicted to alcohol and drugs by the time he was probably 10. In and out of jail. For whatever reason, he was my mother’s favorite…