May 2014—Sarada Bonnett

LIKE MANY CHILDREN of alcoholics, Sarada Bonnett had to take on the role of mother early in her life. When she was just 12 years old, her mother, nationally renowned rockabilly singer Sherry Davis was already addicted to alcohol and pain medication. Years later, as a mother herself, Sarada began chronicling her mother’s career as an entertainer as a gift to her three children. She never imagined that the journey would bring her one of life’s greatest gifts—the gift of forgiveness.

“For the majority of my life, I was angry with my mom for not being the mother she should have been. When I started researching her time as a singer, I quickly realized that the person in the spotlight was very different from the mother that I knew. I began to recognize all that she gave up to raise me. She went from opening for Elvis Presley to changing diapers, from meeting thousands of people every night to an audience of one,” Sarada explained. “For more than ten years, she was a good mom to me. But I think the loneliness got the best of her and she began to self-medicate.”

“I went from an angry child to an understanding adult in the five years that it took me to write Notes of Forgiveness,” she said. “It is my hope that the book can bring healing to anyone who has loved someone through addiction. I want to show people that when you forgive, you allow your psychological wounds to become scars. Forgiveness doesn’t make the wounds go away, but it does stop them from festering.”

While Sarada has received professional counseling to help her understand and cope with her mother’s addictions, she said that the process of writing her thoughts and feelings really helped her to heal. “At 37 years old, I knew I needed to move beyond the anger in order to breathe. There was something about the act of putting things on paper that brought objectivity to the events that impacted my life.”

“I tell everyone that if they need clarity in their lives, they need to write a book!” she laughed.

She not only discovered wonderful things about her mother—her incredible talent and her pioneering spirit—while pouring through the numerous articles and press clippings; she learned a lot of wonderful things about herself as well. She was able to see how her life experiences shaped who she was. And for the first time, she was able to see these experiences through a positive light.

“I think for all of us, it is easier to lay blame than to accept responsibility,” she said. “I had been blaming my mother for many of the bad decisions I’ve made. But I realized that I used my anger as a crutch for too many years. In order for me to truly forgive, I had to accept my own role in my mistakes. If you are constantly blaming others, you can never own your mistakes. And if you don’t own your mistakes, you can never learn from them.”

For Sarada, it wasn’t all about the mistakes. It was also about connecting the good in her life with her mother. Attributes like perseverance and tenacity, integrity and humility, were all passed down by Sherry.

Sarada explained that she was home schooled as a child. Because this was a fairly new concept while she was growing up, she had a very difficult time getting into college. “It would have been very easy for me to have given up, but I was determined to get into college. I got my determination from my mom. And I am thankful for that.”
At age 18, Sarada began working at a food brokerage firm in order to pay for her college tuition. She excelled in sales and marketing and in less than two years, developed her own spin-off firm responsible for distributing Sara Lee products throughout Southeast Texas. In her early twenties, she visited New Orleans for Mardi Gras and knew it was just a matter of time before she returned for good.

“The people in the New Orleans area have an ability to draw you in such a way that you feel you are as much a part of their family as if you were born into it. There is no other place like it,” she said.
Deciding to reside on the Northshore was a no-brainer, according to Sarada. She was able to enjoy the frenzy of New Orleans while still having the peacefulness of nature. She said that despite the tremendous growth over the last 20 years, that small-town feeling that first attracted her to the area is still here.

The last decade has brought many changes in Sarada’s life. She lost her mom in 2004 and her dad died two years later. In addition, the company she worked for before and after Hurricane Katrina was unable to stay in business. Despite having to pick herself up and start over in her personal and professional life—Sarada still felt the pull to write her book.

In 2009 Sarada received a handwritten letter from her mom’s friend Eileen, who had terminal cancer and wanted to share some stories and memorabilia of their time together. “When Eileen told me ‘time is not my friend,’ it really put things into perspective,” Sarada said. “I realized that if I really wanted to wanted write my book, I needed to carve out the time myself.”

Through what Sarada credits as divine intervention, she met Sandra Cordrey, a published author who ended up playing a huge role in the book’s evolution. Both women were visiting the same nail salon when Sandra overheard Sarada talking about her plans to write a book. After learning about the project, Sandra offered to co-author the book, helping guide Sarada through both the writing and publishing phases.

The women developed a routine over the next five years that allowed Sarada to see her dream to fruition. Sarada would spend 10 minutes in the morning and 10 minutes at night writing. Each day, she would deliver her work to Sandra for feedback and editing.

“I had to integrate the writing process into my lifestyle in order to make it happen,” Sarada said.

If you can’t manage to find 20 minutes each day to follow your passion, then it isn’t much of a passion.

With the writing well in hand, Sarada and Sandra had to go through the arduous process of finding a publisher. Once again, Sarada relied on her determination in order to get the job done. “We went through traditional publishers, Christian publishers and non-traditional publishers… I didn’t want to cede control over to any publishers. I wanted the book to be my story. From the words on the pages to the photos on the cover, the book needed to be my story.”

Notes of Forgiveness is now on bookstore shelves and digital copies will be available for purchase early this summer. “This book is proof that you can accomplish anything if you are passionate enough.”

With the book completed, Sarada is beginning the next chapter of her life with her children; Brandon, Payton and Madison, her husband George and stepson Josh. She hopes to instill in her family the value of hard work and the desire to help others in their community.

In addition to handling marketing for Stone Title and serving as Executive Director of the Three Rivers Art Festival, Sarada volunteers her time to James Storehouse—a non-profit organization that helps young adults who are leaving the foster care system transition into independent living.

“My mom taught me that we should never take our talent—or our good fortune—for granted. Giving back is perfect way to show our thankfulness,” Sarada said. “It is a legacy I hope to share with my own children.”