This book is a personal account of Dr. Glaise's family history, educational, political, and lifelong accomplishments from 1950 through 2016. Significant events highlighting her community, church, and organizational involvement and contributions to the families and citizens of Danville, other communities, including Africa, are shared. She also provides animated accounts of various friendships and travel adventures. This rich, historical narrative is woven from my experiences growing up as the daughter of two mill workers. Information transmitted from the griots in the family to relate customs, traditions, and habits in the family are the threads from which this book evolves. As in every African American family, there is usually one person who can tell the story of the family. We must have a perpetual legacy and not disconnect from our past but use it as a foundation for building our future. So it is that I decided to write my story because there are too many gems (words of wisdom) that might prove helpful in providing insight, not only to my family, but to others on this journey of life.