cover story " In those days, my definition of success was putting food on the table and keeping a roof overhead for my young son and myself. 19 GRAND JULY AUGUST 2017 Pat with husband, Scott (center right) surrounded by entire family Part of Pat's inspiration for her role as grandmother is the relationship she had with her own grandmother, a full-blooded Cherokee who worked with her husband as a tenant farmer in rural Georgia. Pat lived with her grandparents while her father was serving in the military. "My grandmother hadn't had many experiences outside of Georgia, yet somehow she was able to create and tell wonderful stories," Pat recalls. "Those stories inspired me to explore." Pat's grandmother taught Pat to believe in herself and not to be afraid of making mistakes. That advice was put to good use when Pat made the bold decision to pursue her dream of a career in media. It wasn't easy. After college, Pat did "the expected things" - married and had a child. But the marriage wasn't working so Pat left her job teaching college English in Continued on next pagehttps://www.facebook.com/GRANDmagazine/ https://www.twitter.com/grandMmagazine