For years, I thought my family name was my destiny. Hemingway. Hear that and you probably think of my grandfather Ernest, one of the great writers of the twentieth century. Or of my sister Margaux and me, the actresses. I made my movie debut at age 14 and was nominated for an Oscar three years later. A celebrated clan of creative people.
Hear Hemingway and you might also think of darker things. Drinking and drug use. Depression. Dysfunction. A troubled family history that I lived in fear of repeating.
That fear drove me for a long time. Slowly, through prayer and study, through the daily practice of healthy habits, I’ve learned that the dysfunction of our past doesn’t have to determine our future. And that it’s never too late to choose well and live with joy and confidence. Let me show you what I mean.
I grew up in Ketchum, Idaho. The elementary school I went to was named for my grandfather Ernest. It was pretty much impossible to blend into the crowd, to fit in—the thing I wanted most, what most kids want.
