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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 Remembering a Mother’s Influence?

Terese Luikens' mother
A Mother’s Influence We are better adults when we can recall the influence of our mothers with a little appreciation, less criticism, and without idealism. Each of my siblings and I were born from the same mother, but of course, each of us experienced a different sort of mother child relationship with her. As unique…

Why Bother Letting Our Parents Off the Hook?

woman at the beach with a hat
Letting Our Parents off the Hook By the time I was born, my parents had already been parenting my five older siblings ranging in age from 1½ to 10.   They had a mortgage, lived solely on Dad’s income and would still have one more child. By the time I was born, Dad had already fought…

Why Bother Thinking About Home?

house
Thinking About Home During our formative years, beginning in infancy and ending when we finally fly the coop, we are influenced by our family.  As we take the time to regard our formative years instead of disregarding them, then we understand ourselves a little better. Understanding ourselves a little better can lead to making more…

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Relationships
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Mental Health
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Faith