This month, we caught up with Stacy Hawkins Adams, award-winning author, newspaper columnist, communications maven, and mother of two teens.
While you might recognize Stacy from one of her book jackets (she has penned eight inspirational women’s fiction novels and a nonfiction devotional book), odds are just as good you’ve seen her face with her parenting column in the Richmond Times-Dispatch or at a brainstorming session for a Richmond-area nonprofit organization.
Born and raised in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, the youngest of five kids, Stacy moved to Richmond in 1993 to work as a reporter. She left the RTD after thirteen years to cultivate other communications interests. This broadening of professional horizons has touched every part of Stacy’s life.
“Because my career as a journalist and as a nonprofit marketing specialist has afforded me numerous opportunities to write about family and children’s issues, and about policies related to child welfare for years, I’ve been able to incorporate the knowledge and insight I’ve gained into my parental decision-making, in regard to my kids’ child care needs when they were younger, their educational opportunities, and even their social and emotional growth,” Stacy says.
Central Virginia has also benefitted from her outreach. Stacy has written extensively about foster care and about the need for children who are aging out of the foster care system to receive support. She is also the immediate past president of Voices for Virginia’s Children, a nonprofit, nonpartisan statewide child advocacy organization whose mission serves every child in Virginia in some form or fashion.
When it comes to writing about parenting, Stacy admits she’s not an expert. That’s why she makes a point of seeking out experts to interview for her column. But, she offers, one of the biggest challenges for parents today is to “help kids stay kids in a culture that rushes them to grow up so fast. It’s tough to always be the parent asking the extra questions or saying no most often; but in the end, you have to remember that your experience and wisdom trumps your child’s, so you must do whatever is necessary to keep them safe, focused, and happy in the long run,” Stacy says.
Keep reading to learn more about RVA wordsmith, advocate for children and families, and mother of two, Stacy Hawkins Adams.
Mountains or beach? Beach, hands down!
Dogs or cats? Neither, really. Apologies to my pet-loving friends! I’m a better pet sitter than owner. If compelled to choose, I would say a yorkie, or a doggie of some other petite breed.
What book is on your nightstand right now? There’s always more than one! Awaiting me now are Toni Morrison’s latest novel, God Help the Child, and The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins.
If you were stranded on a desert island, what food would you want to grow on trees? I’m an apple-a-day eater for sure, but if I were stranded, the food I’d long for most would be something, anything – chocolate!
What’s the last live performance – concert, play, or musical – you attended in Richmond? I attended a high school jazz showcase at the VMFA with my teenage daughter in late May.
Favorite Richmond restaurant when family comes to town? They love Mama J’s and everything on the menu.
When it’s just you and friends? When I’m out for a special night with friends I enjoy Max’s on Broad. Mosaic Restaurant, located off River Road, is a favorite lunchtime spot.
What is your favorite way to spend a rainy Sunday? Leisurely reading a favorite magazine or book, or watching old movies with my children.
What is your favorite vacation spot? I don’t have one go-to spot, but I love the beach, and visit the beach in various locations, as often as I can.
What is your energy source? Doing what I love or what I’m passionate about, energizes me. In my case, that often includes something related to writing or something related to helping others feel inspired.
Whether I’m penning an inspirational Facebook post, or writing a website story for my “day job” in Collegiate School’s communications office, or working on a newspaper column, or developing a chapter for a new novel, I get excited about the opportunity to share information or food for thought with readers in a way that might compel them to action or give them hope.
Favorite family outing? Going to the movies. It’s one of our favorite ways to enjoy downtime together, and we often discuss what we liked, disliked, or thought about a film’s plot afterwards.
Finish this sentence: “My family loves it when I…” Bake their favorite cakes, from scratch. My daughter has an order in now for a chocolate cake, with chocolate icing.
Readers will be surprised to know: I am a closet dancer. I’m not that good at it, but I really enjoy it. And because I embarrass my kids when I do it, I get the bonus of seeing them cringe.
