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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 the Hardships?

family portrait with 2 parents and 3 kids
Remembering the Hardships Going through hardships as husband and wife is both physically and emotionally exhausting. Encountering adversity and walking through it together is all consuming.  Though you know that it won’t last forever, you don’t know how long it will last. And even though you want the pain to leave as soon as possible,…

Why Bother Becoming One?

Becoming One One of the misnomers I had about marriage was that I’d lose my identity. Somehow, I thought marriage would make me less me.  I’d heard the Biblical phrase about two becoming one. But I had no idea that becoming one did not mean becoming the same. Our life as husband and wife started…

Why Bother Staying the Course?

path in the woods
Staying the Course Starting out, my husband and I brought our own unique fears into our marriage. At first we did not discuss them. But staying the course as we have with our marriage, we now know how to voice our fears to one another, and how important it is to voice our concerns with…

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Communication
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Relationships
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Mental Health
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Health
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Faith