Brenda Ford: What was it like the first moment that you saw him, when you first became a mom?

Cathie Hancock: I was like, oh my God, you know, I was so happy. I was so happy. And then I felt a little sad because I've seen, you know, with the way that the world was, him being, you know, a young Black man and then coming up in areas in the '60s when I did, I felt like I was kind of afraid for him. I felt afraid because I was like, "God," you know, "I pray that he be somebody in life instead of in and out of jail or prisons" or something like that, because I didn't want that to happen to him, you know? But he got a little trouble a couple of times, but now he's doing much better. He's turned his whole life around. He plays the drum for our church and he works at the Dome, and he's doing things. He's out on his own. He has his own place. And I'm just very proud of Matt, you know? And Josiah, I sent him to school at Helms College, and he graduated in heating and air conditioning.

Brenda Ford: Are you still living with that same fear?

Cathie Hancock: I have that fear, but seeing things go on the way that they are now —

Brenda Ford: On TV, yeah, the things that have happened?

Cathie Hancock: Uh huh. And it makes you emotional at times, you know, you don't know whether — you just feel afraid and I don't want to feel that way because I shouldn't fear no man, I don't do that. I try not to fear nothing, because God is the only somebody that I actually fear because he's the only one that can, I'm feeling, have control of my life and always lead and guide me and direct me every day, because I ask him for that. Every morning when I wake up and I thank him every morning for allowing me to wake up and see another day I've never seen before. And I wake up sending out texts, encouraging texts and just letting people know that I love them and just — just being my natural self, you know, just having the love of God in my heart for everybody, no matter what. No matter how I been treated, no matter what somebody has done to me, it doesn't matter. I still love him because I don't want anything or anybody to send my soul to hell.

Brenda Ford: That's powerful, like, what you just said? You talked to, you know, about the fear that that you have as a parent? What is the best part of being a parent?

Cathie Hancock: To have family time. Spend time with your family as much as possible. Try to make things where they, when you leave this Earth, that they will be okay and they will be able to make it and have something to fall back on. It don't have to be a whole lot. If it's just a word, something to remember that somebody told you that was great, and I've always asked them to trust in God. And you can have anything in the world that you want long as you ask in Jesus' name what you want. He would give it to you, he will supply your needs and I found that to be true for myself. So, now I have a friend that encouraged me to say, you know, "Stop saying things like, 'you can't have that' or 'you can't do this' or 'you can't get that.'" Yes you can; you can have anything you want, you just put your mind to and work hard at what you want and get it.

This story was produced locally for GPB by Chase McGee and recorded in partnership with StoryCorps Atlanta.