Rebekah

COUNTRY CURLS

September 16th was an amazing day for this family. Their third child (the baby, me) was born. 7 lbs 2 oz, 21 inches long. Brown straight hair. Brown eyes. Many people don’t know that I was born with straight hair. My natural curls came later in life when I went through puberty (Yes hormones created my kinky curls). I might have been born a Hoosier (Indiana), but in my heart I was a southerner. So I left as soon as I could to move to the South and have stayed here ever since (22+ years). Now I can call myself a true southern belle.

Black eyed peas are a southern dish, but for me it was my nickname from my grandma because my eyes were so dark. My first memory of my grandma and mom were in the kitchen when I was 4 years old and sitting on the counter helping mix cookies. Growing up I always felt like the heart of the home was in the kitchen. (If not at the game table with a puzzle.) LOL

I grew up in a very conservative home which created A LOT of rules for life growing up and quite a bit of learning as an adult. We all learn and grow everyday, every year. My learnings are to always trying to find a better way of doing things for the business, a better way for our family, and a better way for mother earth. I am one of those trying to find a way to leave things better than I have found it. I was this way with any store I managed and I am that way with our business. What can we do to help anyone (you) enjoy life healthier? Sweeter? Longer? While I have enjoyed this journey of life and becoming me, I have been truly blessed with my journey with Rodney and getting to know all of you. There is nothing we enjoy better than getting to see you all and hearing where your journey is going.

BECOMING ME

I moved to Raleigh after my divorce to start my new life. Single! Broke!! Alone!!! I knew no one so I threw myself into my work to open a store in a new mall in Durham, NC. I had and would continue to work in the retail/corporate world as a store manager for 20 years in 4 companies. I learned a lot with each company that I would eventually bring with me to help me run and build this business.

Through out my adult life I never gave up on my dream of owning my own business. I was always living it through different milestones in my family and friends lives with my cakes, my food, and fellowship when I got everyone all together. These would be some of the moments that people would bring up when describing me. They would also say that my laugh is infectious and distinguishable in a crowded room along with how I love to inspire and have a positive outlook. That positive outlook/hope/dreaming would eventually come true.

My mom was the first person of my more immediate family to go to heaven. I still had all four of my grandparents until the past few years. My mom lost her fight with cancer during the Christmas season of 2008. Christmas has always been both of our favorite time of the year. After that holiday, things changed for my family, dad, and me. I started digging down deeper to find out even more of who I wanted to become. What I wanted to be about or stand for. What would eventually and organically direct how the business would come about. My mom was deathly allergic to yellow jackets/wasps/bees which seems ironic now that I am in the bee business. Even though she would not have been able to be a part of some of the business physically because of her allergy, I know she would have helped in any other way possible. I hope that she would be proud of me and where I am today.