“Some may have their own opinion
  about the kind of person I have been
  but I know what I deserve-
  that's all that matters in the end.”
-An excerpt from the poem “My Steady Beau”.

Candidreams: I Remember the Beginning offers an aspiring array of poems illustrating author Candie Ferald's refusal to be derailed or defined by tragic events or circumstances. Candie is angry about some of the painful realities of her young life. She concludes that somehow, God's unconditional love has passed her by.
Many of Candie's thoughts and decisions hail from a place of hurt and anger. A sudden tragedy magnifies those feelings. In a desperate attempt to numb her pain, Candie succumbs to the allure of drugs. She soon finds herself straddling the edge of self destruction. In this state, Ms. Ferald promises her dying Papa that she will reclaim her life.
We all have endured daunting experiences that challenged our faith and dreams. Likewise, we all possess the tools to rise from these traumas. Candidreams chronicles Candie's first emotional steps as she fights to return to her former self, or perhaps an even better one.

“I used the rock as a block
  to mask my terrible sadness
  but its numbing effects
  only exacerbated my madness.”
-An excerpt from the poem “Heartstopper”.