Fauna Hodel

Fauna Hodel is the author of the autobiographical novel, One Day She’ll Darken (with J. R. Briamonte), Executive Producer of the film, Pretty Hattie’s Baby, directed by Ivan Passer, starring Alfre Woodard, Charles Dutton, Alison Elliot, Bobby Hosea, Jill Clayburg and Tess Harper. Fauna Hodel wrote and produced the theatrical presentation: Working the Dream: The Fauna Hodel Story. She was also an instrumental piece to a twenty-year puzzle that helped to solve (unofficially) the Black Dahlia case (the murder of Elizabeth Short), and is the subject of a documentary film to be directed by David Hughes. Fauna Hodel is Single Parent Magazine’s Celebrity/VIP of the month.

Michelle: Fauna, you mention using the “gift” of pain to move forward and inspire other people. Most people have a hard time seeing pain as a gift. As you raise your daughters, how do you explain how pain can become a gift to your daughters, Yvette and Rasha?

Fauna: Pain becomes a gift because through that pain you gather wisdom. Pain in life can be the offspring of bad choices. Those bad choices allow you to grow and mature. You cannot beat yourself up but rather use the information learned to make better choices when a similar situation occurs. Pain from a previous bad choice makes you stronger and provides a deterrent to making the same bad choice in the future.

Michelle: Watching our children in any form of pain is absolutely heartbreaking because protecting our children from harm is in our nature. As a mother, how do you find balance between protecting your children and letting them, “leave the nest?”

Fauna: Because of my past, protecting my kids was a big priority for me. However, as children get older you cannot force your child out of the painful situation. I spend time talking and encouraging my daughters to make better choices by reminding them of the painful experience they had in the past. I do believe my daughters have also learned from my mistakes as well.

Michelle: What is your biggest accomplishment? What are you most proud of in your life?

Fauna: My biggest accomplishments are my daughters, Yvette and Rasha. They are amazing, beautiful women and continue to be and I am so proud of them.

Michelle: Tell us about your daughters, Yvette and Rasha.

Fauna: Yvette is my firstborn daughter. I had her when I was fifteen, a few days before my 16th birthday. I had Rasha 11 years later. Yvette is more reserved and calm. She has a quiet strength about her. She mothered her baby sister and helped me take of her. Yvette and I loved Rasha so much and due to the age difference, there was no sibling rivalry because we both wanted to make everything special for Rasha.

Rasha loves and respects her older sister. They have a very close relationship which continues into the present. Rasha stands up for other people’s rights. She is outspoken when it comes to others being treated unfairly. She is in the process of completing her book, every BODY is beautiful. Both of my girls are deep, strong women. They are beautiful people, both inside and out!

Michelle: What are some of the important lessons you taught your daughters?

Fauna: I believe my daughters learned from my mistakes.  I raised them to be good people. Because I was so abused as a child, I learned how to just “get through things” and continue to move forward. I believe that there is a reason for all things. I realized that not moving forward from painful circumstances, made my mother drink heavily. She became an alcoholic because of pain and there was a big difference in her personality when she was drinking and when she was sober.

Michelle: You have been through so much in your life and yet you are such a positive, loving woman. Where does that internal peace and love come from?

Fauna: Over the years I began healing and through that process I became drawn to spiritual people and they became drawn to me as well. Their friendships are what help me to continue to be at peace.

Michelle: What is THE most important lesson you wanted your daughters’ to receive from you?

Fauna: The most essential lesson I taught Yvette and Rasha is the importance of prayer and spirituality. Faith is vital to everyday living and there is a divine force looking over us. If nothing else in this world is real…know that that is!