Lake Murray Lifestyle had one more opportunity to chat with Ainsley Earhardt about her new book and growing up in South Carolina. Here's what we learned:
Why this book? Why now?
The idea for my latest book, "I’m So Glad You Were Born,” came to me years ago. When I was a child, my mother always said (on my birthday), “I’m so glad you were born”. As I grew older, I began saying it to friends and family. One morning, while anchoring Fox And Friends, one of my co-anchors was celebrating his birthday and I said, “I’m glad you were born.” At first, the crew laughed. Then, those words sank in, they were shocked and the phrase stuck. It became my common response to birthday celebrations on Fox and Friends. Then, four and a half years ago, my mother suffered a stroke. She has a challenging life and I wanted to write this book to honor her.
This book is about celebrating ‘everyday experiences.’ Is there an example of a close friend who is doing this well?
I am surrounded by a circle of great friends who also grew up with me in Columbia. We spent nearly every weekend on Lake Murray having a blast and sharing our hopes and dreams for the future. Now, 25 years later, we are still friends and teaching these messages now to our children. We want our “little ones” to grow into happy, healthy and wise adults.
What's your favorite ‘everyday experience’ from the book?
I love the dance party scene because my daughter and I do this often. We turn our home into a musical parade - honoring and celebrating her life and the enjoyment of being together.
What do you miss about South Carolina?
I miss my family, southern hospitality, the Gamecocks, sweet tea, Rush’s cheeseburgers, my grandparents, the lake (Lake Murray - where I learned to water ski), the churches and homemade, southern cooking.
Do you have a couple of South Carolina memories to share?
When we were in high school, several friends had boats and lake houses. We would go up to the lake each weekend and spend hours on the water. As the sun set, we would tie our boats together, listen to music and spend time laughing and sharing stories. My grandparents also lived on the lake and my Dad’s father, Lewie Earhardt, had a few fishing tackle boxes. I would organize the colored, faux, bait worms in the tackle box and play with the fishing line. My aunt and uncle, Linda and Griff Earhardt, lived on Lake Murray too. We spent Christmas’ together, had cookouts and long cruises on the lake at night in their boat. My precious, Uncle Griff died from cancer in that house on the lake and I remember visiting with him a few days before he took his last breath. He also grew up on the lake, considered it a special place and met Jesus in that home — right there on the banks of Lake Murray. He grew up there and died there. What a very speical body of water. Thank you, Lake Murray, for all the memories.
