I can't tell my story without telling the story of my grandmother Frances. Raised during the Great Depression by her own faithful grandmother, Frances's life was not one of fairytales. She married the love of her life and brought five children into this world. She was faithful.
In the 1950s through no fault of her own, Frances would end up a single mother. She took on the task of providing for her family as best she could. Frances carried a heavy burden, but her faith would see her through.
Years after her death, I was reading a letter she had written in the back of her bible. The last line was a special note to my mother, the youngest child and only girl.
"girl be brave"
These are the words I carry with me and I hope you will too.
My hope for Girl Be Brave is that Frances's words reach every girl and woman who needs a reminder of their own bravery. You are made of strong stuff. We all are. Girl Be Brave understands that life can be struggle. We also know that the struggle is how we got here.
Cheryl