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made one big family, and we all loved each other. What my aunt and uncle did for us was pretty amazing. I will always be grateful.” When Joy was a teenager, she said, “I overheard someone say, ‘Those girls won’t ever amount to anything,’ because we didn’t have our own mama or daddy to raise us. I think we all turned out fine. We all have jobs, and none of us got on drugs or did anything crazy,” she said and laughed softly. Even though Joy only had her mother for such a short time, the influence of her easy-going nature was easy to imagine. There was no grief counselor to help the children process the pain of losing their mother at such a young age. “I remember being so sad, and people at school talking about it.” By the time Joy was in high school, she said, “I didn’t like the person I’d become. I knew I had to do something about the anger and bitterness that was suffocating my life.” Instead of denying her emotions or pushing them down deeper, Joy began to write all of her thoughts and feelings into a journal. Without anyone Hometown Living At Its Best 95


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