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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 Thinking Grateful Thoughts?

old pink pick-up truck with flowers
Thinking Grateful Thoughts The other day while I was driving, I began to ruminate on everything that I was thankful for. I’m not sure why my mind went down that particular roadway of gratitude, but it did and I went along for the ride.  My list began with being thankful for my car. It is…

Why Bother Sharing Our Story?

group of people in an old car
Telling Our Story Although the natural response to a death in a family is to rally around each other for comfort and support, Dad’s suicide did not bring our family together.  My siblings and I were all at different ages and stages when Dad ended his life by suicide. The oldest siblings were twenty-three, twenty-one,…

Why Bother Exposing the Truth?

The Hidden Truth I do not remember the first time I saw the movie, The Wizard of Oz, but I do remember watching it with my kids a few times. The more I watched this movie, the more I noticed the similarities and differences between The Wizard of Oz and Dorothy as well as how…

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Mental Health
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Faith