Copyright 2020 by Tonya Hill Allen
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Dianes Heart / Tonya Hill Allen 1st. ed
ISBN Paperback: 978-1-953449-24-5 Ebook: 978-1-953449-25-2
Dedication
Thank you to my beautiful mom, Diane Hill-Harrison, for leaving such a powerful legacy of love and generosity. I pray the work that were doing in your memory and by inspiration of the Holy Spirit blesses and changes the lives of many families. Though you are not physically with me, your love lives in me and my heart is purposed to share Dianes Heart with the world.
To my beautiful Kings, my sons Michael-Anthony and Davis, I dedicate this book to you as record of your grandmothers love for you. Your time with her was brief on Earth, but know her love for you spans beyond a lifetime and is eternal.
Contents
Foreword
Diane was my aunt, but more of a second mom. Diane had a special heart and our entire family felt her love. I would say I was her favorite, but honestly, everyone in the family may say the same.
Dianes impact on my life is endless. My mother, her younger sister was a single mom, and Diane was always there to help us. From taking me to summer camp during my childhood years so my mom could get to work on time, to taking me shopping for college ensuring I had everything I needed and later on assisting me in career coaching which has led to a successful career and business endeavors. Diane was a special person and left a tremendous impact on me, our family, and so many more.
This book is about Dianes Heart and I am ecstatic that Tonya, her daughter, has decided to share her heart with the world. Tonya and I have grown to become sister and brother over the years. Shes more similar to her mom than she thinks. She loves hard and at the same time is bold in her speech as she coaches you. Ive watched her grow over the years to where she is no longer concerned about what people think and feel about her, but more concerned about getting it right in Gods eyes and loving people as they need to be loved. Im grateful for her and her love.
Tonyas desire to share the legacy of her mom means that thousands of single moms and their children will have a chance at a better life. As you read this book, I hope that youre able to feel Dianes Heart her compassion, her drive, and her love, and that youre inspired to succeed and to help others.
Jermaine L. Spann
Introduction
My Story
It was spring break in 2010. My boys were 8 and 11 at the time. When asked what they wanted to do for spring break, the response wasnt to go to the beach or some grand trip or anything. It was simply to sleepover at Grandmommys. They loved everything about her. They knew she would cook all the best homemade burgers and fries and let them order pizza and hot wings everyday if they wanted. She was their idea of FUNand they were her EVERYTHING.
Although she had not scheduled off work that week, there was no way she would deny them spending the week with Grandmommy. While she was at work, they would spend time with her husband Michael, their new granddaddy whom they adored, too. In the middle of the day on Thursday, I received a call from my mom telling me shes leaving work early because she doesnt feel well and asking if I will come get the kids. I could hear the strain in her voice of not wanting them to go home early. They had made big plans for fun stuff to do over the weekend, like pancakes and Walmart toy shopping. I can count on one hand all of my mothers sick days. She never missed a beat. She was like the energizer bunny. However, the job was starting to wear on her. She was an HR directora very demanding jobbut she loved her work and the people she had worked with for so many years. It was the travel she hated. Occasional travel was fine, but this constant driving back and forth to Atlanta from Birmingham was a total buzzkill for her. She spent many evenings just sitting and looking trying to recover from the exhaustion of the hustle and bustle.
When I got to her house to check on her and to pick up the kids, she was in bed and her husband had taken the kids to the park so she could rest. She is red and blotchy in the face and neck area.