by Toni Braxton
That day I sat on Wendy’s couch, it wasn’t that I’d actually fallen out of love with music. It was that I’d fallen out of balance in my life. I could tell you that I’m now completely centered again. That would be a lie. My journey doesn’t come wrapped in a shiny package with a neat little bow placed on top. Life is more messy than that. Circumstances fall apart, then we pull them back together—only to have them come undone another time. I’m starting to realize that we’re not supposed to keep everything lined up and in perfect order—even with our best efforts, we can’t accomplish that anyway. Instead, we’re meant to find lessons in both the chaos and the cleanup.
I’m still trying to figure out everything there is to learn in my life. Some lessons are pretty straightforward: When you hand over the reins of your life to someone else, you render yourself voiceless and powerless. Other lessons are harder to recognize: What is there to learn from getting lupus? Or having a son with autism? Or watching your parents’ thirty-year marriage suddenly disintegrate? I don’t think I’ll ever understand why some things happen. But the point may not be to make sense of the most difficult situations. It could be that we’re here to learn how to breathe through them. After a lifetime of holding my breath, that’s what I’m finally doing.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
So many people have stood by me during my journey. I am deeply grateful to all those who’ve supported me and offered their love and encouragement. Here are a few people I’d like to thank publicly:
My managers, Craig Baumgarten and Marcus Grant: Thank you not only for overseeing the details of my career, but also for listening, even when I wasn’t talking. You’re the best! Whatcha Doing? :)
I really should be thanking your wives, too. They put up with the repeated calls, questions, and concerns. Shawn Baumgarten and J’Vaughn Aubry-Grant—I appreciate you!
My literary agent, Steve Fisher: Thank you for handling the publishing side of my work—I couldn’t have become an author without your help.
Mommy and Daddy: You believed in me long before the world knew who I was. It’s because of you that I am the entertainer that I am today. I will forever love you . . . both.
Denim and Diezel: I love you both more than you could ever know. You are my favorite show.
My sisters and brother: I wish I could give my kids what we had—lots of each other. We are The Braxtons . . . always!
Trina Braxton: Thank you for reading the book manuscript over and over again and helping me not to be embarrassed.
Towanda Braxton: A very special thanks to you, The Responsible One, for the millions of hours you’ve spent taking care of me . . . even though you think you don’t work for me anymore! :) And thank you, too, for sending your Squirrels.
David Brokaw: I heart u, I heart u, I heart u.
Dr. Sherry Blake: The perfect “listening ear.”
Alex Tanjala: I miss you every day!
Ashlee Braxton, Lorenzo “Zo” Williams, and James Philips: I would be up a tree without you.
My fans: for sticking by me, even when it was sticky.
And of course, none of this would’ve been accomplished without the skills of my team at HarperCollins. Thanks to the captain of my book team, Lisa Sharkey, who signed me up; Amy Bendell, who has worked tirelessly on the manuscript; and Paige Hazzan, who has spent hours settling the details. Much appreciation and excitement also goes to the art director, photo editor, marketing team, and the extraordinary sales force at HarperCollins. I am very appreciative of your enthusiasm and support.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
TONI BRAXTON has won six Grammy Awards and sold more than sixty million records worldwide. Her hit song “Un-break My Heart” still stands as the number two all-time bestselling single by a female recording artist. Currently, she is the star of the WE tv hit reality series Braxton Family Values and the new Lifetime original movie Twist of Faith. Braxton was the first African American woman to play a leading role in a Disney Broadway production when she starred as Belle in Beauty and the Beast, and she has headlined in one of the top ten Las Vegas shows of all time. Toni is a passionate advocate for both Autism Speaks and Lupus L.A.
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CREDITS
Cover design by Amanda Kain
Cover photograph © by Randee St Nicholas
COPYRIGHT
Some names have been changed where indicated in order to protect the privacy of individuals involved.
Photographs courtesy of the author unless otherwise noted.
UNBREAK MY HEART. Copyright © 2014 by Toni Braxton. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
FIRST EDITION
ISBN 978-0-06-229328-2
EPub Edition MAY 2014 ISBN 9780062293305
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