CARRBORO, N.C. -- Elizabeth Edwards made her first public appearance in several months Friday night at a storytelling event in Carrboro.
Edwards, the estranged wife of two-time Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, spoke at the season finale of The Monti, a Chapel Hill-Durham based group that hosts monthly events where members of the community share personal stories in front of an audience.
The theme of the event at the Carrboro ArtsCenter was "Mothers and Fathers." Edwards spoke about her parents, sharing whimsical stories about their appearances on game shows such as "The Match Game."
Edwards' mother, Elizabeth Thweatt Anania, is still living, but her father, Vincent Anania, died two years ago at age 87. Edwards talked about her father's heroism as a U.S. Navy pilot.
"He understood that there were times when it wasn't time for a joke, and it wasn't time to play but it was time to do whatever was necessary no matter how impossible it seemed," she said. "He gave me that gift."
The previous three years have been eventful for Edwards. First, her breast cancer came back. Then her husband admitted to having an extramarital affair and fathering a child, leading to the couple's separation in January after more than 30 years of marriage.
"I've had an extraordinary life, honestly. It's been good and bad, but it's very extraordinary," she said at the end of her story. "My ability to get through that life is because... I have my father and my mother to thank for that."