BROOKHAVEN — Cindy Cannon stepped out to the porch of her business Cindy’s Daycare on West Congress Street close to where The Dart landed Thursday. She will celebrate 35 years of serving the community this November. 

A native of Brookhaven, she graduated from Enterprise High School and went to work immediately in childcare. Her father helped buy the home on Congress Street and turn it into a daycare in 1988. 

She pursued a career in childcare thanks to a childcare class she took at Enterprise. The kids are what drew her to the daycare industry. 

“I liked the kids. They let us go to centers and see what it was like to work with them,” Cannon said. “I knew it was what I wanted to do. I just love the job. God wants me here, He has kept me here. At times it gets hard.I think praying has helped keep me here. I’m here for a reason and God works things out.” 

One time she said an inspector told her a few walls needed to be knocked down inside the daycare. While she did not know how to go about tearing down walls, some parents took on the task to help keep the daycare open. 

God has worked things out for the business and because of His faithfulness, she has refused to give up on the daycare. “How can you quit when he pushes you forward,” she said. The parents have been a great help to the daycare. 

She said things have changed over the last 35 years. The daycare is now teaching what used to be kindergarten level curriculum to students to prepare them for kindergarten. Nutrition is another responsibility of the daycare. Her mom serves as the cook. Cannon said she loves her work. 

“The kids will give you affection. They know when you are down,” Cannon said. “My mom is the cook. She does it all. The snacks and the meals. The rules have gotten harder but times are changing so you have to be on top of things.” 

Outside of the daycare, she spends time on her farm, with her grandkids and reading calming books. Home is a quiet place of rest and relaxation. 

Her farm is small with chickens, goats, rabbits, turkeys and ducks. She once had horses and cows but her work took up too much time to take care of those animals. 

Books about people such as the Duggars from 19 Kids and Counting are what intrigue her the most. She also enjoys reading books from her bible study group at First Baptist Church. Each night, she reads the bible before going to bed. 

Throughout her life she has attended Northview Baptist Church, Charity and now First Baptist Church for the last 12 years. She is grateful for how God works in her life. 

“Without him, I could not make it. He keeps me going through the struggles and the day to day life,” Cannon said. “We have a great church family at First Baptist. They are amazing. They will pray for you and it feels good to find comfort there.” 

She has stayed in Brookhaven because she loves the small town environment. It feels like a safe place to her. 

“I just like small town living,” she said. “When you go to Walmart, you run into people you know. I like stopping and talking in Walmart to people I know. You don’t get that in bigger cities. That is what I like about Brookhaven. I love it here.”