Smith to visit FC Library on Saturday, May 20

A Southwest Mississippi writer, who tackled the painful personal aftermath associated with the loss of a child and her brothers in early childhood through her book, “Life After Losing A Child,” will visit the Franklin County Public Library on Saturday May 20 for a “Meet the Author” gathering.

The program will be held from 9:30 a.m. to noon at 106 S. First St. in downtown Meadville across from the Franklin County School District’s Central Offices.

Antonette Smith, born Antonette L. Pendleton-Scott in Kankakee, Ill. and who currently lives in neighboring Lincoln County, is the founder of Empowerment Ministry of Brookhaven, a businesswoman, philanthropist, entrepreneur, teacher and life coach.

Through her book, Smith shares how the deaths of her male siblings affected her parents, as well as how losing her own son impacted her family, her four other children and their father.

“As a little girl and the only girl in the home, I played with my many dolls,” she recalled. “I played with my tea sets and easy-bake ovens with my full kitchen. I would line dolls — my babies — up to eat at my little table. I would lay them down for their naps, bathe them in the sink and change their clothes.

“I always dreamed of being a mother as early as I can remember. I always watched my aunts and uncles deal with children and babies. I was my parents’ baby and last child so we didn’t have babies in our home to stay. I would always gravitate toward babies and children even though I was a child.”

Smith her most memorable personal desire from a young age was to be the best mother in the world with a firm grasp on what life would hold for her in the future.

“As I grew older, I began to plan what kind of house I would live in, the sex of my child, how many I wanted, the kind of job I would have and what I wanted my husband to be like,” she continued. “I put some time and thought into being a great mother and wife for many years as I played with my doll collection. I watched my parents, how they lived and made decisions and decided that I would live my life differently.”

Still, no amount of planning could adequately prepare Smith, who saw and experienced first-hand the grief impacting parents and family members faced with the loss of a child.

“Millions of parents lose a child and are left struggling in trying to not be overwhelmed with grief for the rest of their lives,” she went on to say.

“We suffer from guilt, shame, hurt, pain and sorrow until we allow Jesus Christ to heal us. Losing a child from a miscarriage, stillbirth, sickness, deformities, abortions, accidents or homicides — all these losses carry the same grief.

“The loss of a child or children leaves a void in the lives of a family. I pray by sharing my loss and grief process, people will seek Christ for healing.”

Smith said the goal of her book is to empower those suffering from such unimaginable losses to live their best lives — in the fullest capacity God intended while honoring a child that is gone, but not forgotten.

The text she authored, which was produced through Page Publishing, is dedicated to her son, Antonio, who was born May 23, 1992, and passed away on March 5, 2013, and her mother, Flora Scott (Aug. 25, 1949 - Jan. 3, 2020), who gave birth to eight children and lost six of them before her own passing.

And despite the heartache she has experienced through loss, Smith said she fully embraces her role as a proud mother and grandmother with God’s guidance and compassion, and she hopes to personally visit with and encourage Franklin Countians who have shared in her journey during the visit.

Smith will also be signing copies of her book during the May 20 stop as she has during other visits across the country.

“Life After Losing A Child” is available for purchase through various bookstores and online businesses including Books-A-Million, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google, Walls of Books, Walmart.com, Bayou Book Store and Apple iBooks.

Professionally, Smith is also known regionally for her role as the Chief Executive Officer for both Jentle Touch In-Home Care LLC and Mz. Nette’s Glory (braiding salon).