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For Terese Luikens, a picture-perfect childhood it was not. Frequent moves. An emotionally absent mother and an alcoholic father. Suicide.

The sixth of seven children, Terese grew up in an unstable and chaotic household—invisible to her mom yet cherished by her alcoholic dad, who took his own life when Terese was thirteen years old.

This heartfelt memoir documents the chain reaction of a tumultuous family history. From her stormy childhood to the far-reaching effects of her father’s suicide, Terese shares her inspiring journey to escape the shame of her past, find healing and love, learn to trust, and discover faith in a real and personal God.

Terese Luikens

Meet the Author

Writer Terese Luikens contributes articles for Mother Earth News, The Secret Place, Decision Magazine, The Upper Room, Hearts at Home, and the Epoch Times and publishes her own blog, Why Bother? A schoolteacher and a yoga instructor, Terese lives in Sandpoint, Idaho, with her husband and enjoys being mother to three grown sons and grandmother to her much-loved grandchildren.

Latest Blog Posts

Why Bother Exterminating Envy?

two women walking together outdoor during daytime
Envy is dangerous. It is sly, subtle and silent. It creeps into our lives and when we discover it, we may be embarrassed that we’ve allowed ourselves to feel the way we do. But until we recognize our hostility, resentfulness and antagonism toward someone else, we are unable to exterminate envy.        Set it Aside Relationships…

Why Bother Being Grateful for Friends?

2 kids
A woman once said to me that it is hard for her to make friends, especially the older she gets. Her statement caused me to consider my friendships. Some of them began with a bang and then fizzled out all together, while others wobbled with uncertainty at the start, but then solidified and deepened over…

Why Bother Being Congruent?

photo of 2 girls with their nose touching
The word congruent, as a geometry term, refers to the equality between two shapes; two figures having the same shape and size, a mirror image of the other. But, we can also use the term congruent when referring to our insides and our outsides.        Incongruent When shapes or figures do not mirror…