Cookie's Corner | Her Legacy
SHE WAS ONE TOUGH COOKIE.
Long before there was Cookie's Corner, there was Armita Hawkins—Cookie to the people who loved her.
And she was, quite literally, one tough Cookie.
My name is Natalia. CEO and Founder of The Vibe Dept. Cookie was my grandmother, but growing up, I was more like her baby than her grandchild. She helped raise me, spoiled me, took me to church, and let me tag along to work with her at Carver Middle School.
Some of my favorite memories are in the kitchen. She was an incredible cook and baker, and I remember helping her prepare food for school events, church functions, and holidays with our family—although sometimes “helping” meant licking the remaining cake batter that was supposed to become somebody's dessert. 😂
She gave far more than she ever asked for in return. What she wanted from us was simple: do the right thing, be a good person, be successful in life, and have a relationship with God.
As I got older, we didn't always see eye to eye on how life mistakes and life goals should turn out, but her door was always open for me.
That's who Cookie was.
SHE KNEW HOW TO LIVE.
Honey, let me tell you, Cookie traveled every chance she got to. She loved going to or hosting her weekly card nights with her girls. She absolutely loved to shop—and loved a good sale even more. 😂 She enjoyed her life and the people in it.
My favorite thing about her: she was a fighter.
She battled breast cancer and won that fight!
Years later, she started experiencing seizures out of nowhere, in her left leg only. We eventually learned they were being caused by a brain tumor: glioblastoma.
I watched someone who had always been so full of life gradually lose her ability to walk. Eventually, she became bedridden, and by the end of her journey, she no longer had the strength to speak or at least open her eyes.
Watching that transformation was incredibly difficult.
But I cherish the final months I had while helping care for the woman who had spent so much of her life caring for my little ones and me.
Cookie chose not to undergo surgery or continue treatment. She outlived the time doctors expected her to have and held on long enough to celebrate one more birthday with her family.
She had accepted what was ahead of her. In her own words, "I lived a full life."
And when the time came, after 76 years of blessing us with her presence, she left this life with grace—something she had always carried.
A LEGACY OF SERVICE
Cookie didn't only leave her mark on our family.
She spent 34 years serving Carver Middle School, including 24 years as its school secretary, along with years as an attendance clerk, instructional clerk, and bookkeeper/secretary.
Her dedication was recognized with numerous honors throughout her career.
And on June 5, 2014, upon her retirement, the City of Orlando officially proclaimed:
“ARMITA HAWKINS DAY”
in recognition of her decades of service and dedication.
She spent a lifetime giving to the people around her.
Cookie's Corner is one way that giving gets to continue.
WHY COOKIE'S CORNER EXISTS
I created Cookie's Corner because I know firsthand how hard it is to support someone living with an aggressive disease like glioblastoma.
The illness is only part of what a family carries.
There are still groceries to buy. Bills to pay. Gas tanks to fill. Children to care for. Work that may have to be missed. And everyday responsibilities that don't disappear simply because your family is going through one of the hardest experiences of your lives.
Sometimes, a family just needs one less thing to worry about.
That's what I want Cookie's Corner to give them.
Through the Cookie's Corner Family Fund, 10% of every Cookie's Corner product purchase is set aside to provide direct financial assistance to a family affected by glioblastoma.
The family decides where that assistance can help them most.
Because during a time like this, what's most valuable isn't always another resource or another program.
Sometimes it's breathing room.
More space to focus on what really matters.
Cherishing the moments you have with the people you love.
Cookie spent her life giving to others. Through Cookie's Corner, I hope a little bit of that same love can reach the next family who needs it.
Her life ended.
Her legacy of giving didn't.
COOKIE'S CORNER. STRONGER TOGETHER. 🩶
