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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 Regarding Dad?

man and a kid in a living room
Regarding Dad Whether we are an only child, one of many, wanted, adopted or abused, we are better adults if we appraise our childhoods instead of trying to forget them.  Our childhoods shape us. During our formative years, beginning in infancy and ending when we finally fly the coop, we form certain ideas on how…

Why Bother Taking Note of Our Family’s Culture?

group of people in an old car
Our Family’s Culture Regarding our childhoods, whether an only child, one of many, wanted, adopted, abused, or abandoned our childhoods shaped us. During our formative years, beginning in infancy and ending when we finally flew the coop, our lives took a particular shape based on our family’s culture.  Culture, in its simplest definition, is the…

Why Bother Regarding Childhood?

kids in a bed
Regarding Childhood It is a new month and I get to choose a new theme! I choose the theme of, regarding our childhoods. Whether we are an only child, one of many, wanted, adopted or abused, we are better adults if we regard our childhoods instead of disregarding them.  Our childhoods shape us. During our…

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Faith