✍The First Page: A Heart's Journey to Forgiveness by Terese Luikens

 

 A HEART'S JOURNEY TO FORGIVENESS

By Terese Luikens

Publication Date: November 3, 2022

Memoir

For Terese Luikens, a picture-perfect childhood it was not. Frequent cross country moves, an emotionally absent mother and an alcoholic father who ends his life by suicide when Terese is just thirteen years old. 

The sixth of seven children, Terese grew up in an unstable and chaotic household–invisible to her mom yet cherished by her father. 

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 live, learn to trust, and discover faith in a real and personal God.  

A Heart’s Journey to Forgiveness is available at Amazon.

 

                     

When the COVID-19 pandemic invaded the US in the spring of 2020, it reminded me of the blizzards and ice storms that hit our region of North Idaho. During nearly every winter storm, people huddle in their homes waiting for the electricity to come back on. Schools close, and any kind of travel—car, bus, train, or plane—is canceled.

A similar phenomenon happened when COVID-19 arrived. But as of this writing, the pandemic has lasted longer than any winter storm. Social distancing, face coverings, and working from home remain the expected protocol.

When the pandemic first descended upon us, face-to-face interactions with others were limited to those who lived in the same household. Traveling even short distances to visit friends or relatives, especially across any state or county line, was prohibited.

I have six siblings living in five states: Minnesota, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, and Colorado. New restrictions put the kibosh on any plans we might have had to visit one another during the summer months.

But my sister Ella, who dubs herself the most “normal” one in the family because she is the middle child, came up with an idea. The seven of us could all stay connected despite travel restrictions if she were to set up weekly conference calls.

On April 15, 2020, an email arrived with details of the Macek Maverick calls, as Ella had named them. Each week, a sibling would take a turn as facilitator, coming up with a discussion-starting question and launching the call. The facilitator would also ensure everyone got a chance to answer the question, and would monitor the time. Each call would be limited to around seventy-five minutes.

 

 

Terese Luikens has been married for forty-four years to the same man, although she is on her third wedding ring, having lost one and worn out another. She lives in Sandpoint, Idaho, enjoys being mother to three grown sons and grandmother to her much-loved grandchildren. She is the author of A Heart’s Journey to Forgiveness, a Memoir of her inspiring journey of emotional healing from her father’s suicide. She facilitates retreats and workshops focusing on forgiveness, and publishes her own blog, Why Bother? 

You can visit her website at www.tereseluikens.com.