Carla was born and raised in Haywood County, has an
incredible work ethic and is a lover of wildflowers, a love
that stems from a time in her early childhood. She is a
mom to one son and has been married to Steven Palmer
for 26 years. She married her husband in 1994 when she
was at the young age of 19 years old. Raised in a strong
Christian home and a sister to two older brothers, Carla
describes her life as being blessed and simple. “We were
just simple people, and that is how I like life, just to be
simple.” Even later in her life, she has a tight relationship
with her family, especially her mom, dad and her middle
brother. “He was closer in age to me, whereas my oldest
brother was already out and about, doing his own thing.
My mom made my middle brother hang out with me a lot
growing up, so we have always been close, and we still are
today. I am blessed because of that.”
Carla’s faith ranks at
the top of the charts
when it comes to the
things that are most
important to her.
Two of the earliest memories that stand out from her
childhood is hiking with her dad on Sundays in search of
wildflowers and learning the Lord’s Prayer at a very young
age. “I’ve known the Lord’s Prayer since I was five years
old, and it’s all because of my grandma,” Carla shares over
choked back tears. Carla’s grandmother was born in 1899
and is someone that has left lasting impressions on her
throughout her life. Her memories of Sunday hikes with
her dad have turned into Sunday hikes with her own
family… as they continue to look for more wildflowers.
Taking on the world day by day is Carla’s mantra. Understanding
For me, I choose to be happy, I choose to see the good in
people and I choose to see the good things around me,
and there is plenty of both.”
that in the day and age that we are living in, her
faith and peoples’ faiths in general, can be tested every
day. “For myself, I think each day is a test. I believe everything
has a purpose and a reason and I know that God has
a plan and I don’t dwell on the what ifs.”
She is convicted in her fearlessness of death and states
that she is ready to go whenever the Lord needs her to
come home. “Just don’t take my parents or my son before
me,” she says with a giggle, yet her eyes begin to water.
Growing up in Haywood County with two older brothers
has allowed Carla to become a beautifully courageous
woman when it comes to taking risks and being a “self-declared
dare-devil.” From hiking to kayaking to tree climbing
to riding motorcycles and now owning her own bike, she
describes herself as a forever tomboy. “I’ve always been
that person and I will always be that person,” she says.
“I don’t want to change any of that about myself.”
She lives her life to the fullest and makes choices in her
life that allow her to do exactly that. As a believer that
God put us here to be happy and to be full and to not live
in misery, she works daily to accomplish the things that
make her happy. “I’m really a simple person, and I think
that it is important to be simple versus to be a person that
lives in chaos and bad decisions.” She stands firm in her
“live simple” belief system while also exuding this sense of
firmness. “I think each person needs to look at their life
and make the decisions on how they want to live their life
and what they want in life. For me, I choose to be happy, I
choose to see the good in people and I choose to see the
good things around me, and there is plenty of both.”
The blessing of being
born and raised in
Haywood County
brings a smile to
Carla’s face. The fact
that she grew up in her church and that she was brought
up in a strong Christian family has provided her the
platform that she now
stands upon. “I was
raised with values
and they were
instilled in
me at a very
young age,”
Carla shared.
“And I
think that
is one of
the biggest
differences
between
how I was
raised and
how kids are
being raised
today,” she continues.
“Some people
are not using the
same methods, or
actually using any
method, to instill
good values, or
any values, in
Hair and Makeup by Leah Milan
13