A heartfelt memoir depicting Terese’s journey of forgiving her father when he chooses to end his life by suicide.
Title: A Heart's Journey to Forgiveness
Author: Terese Luikens
Publication Date: November 3, 2022
Pages: 282
Genre: 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.
Book Excerpt
In my mind, these warm childhood memories include only my dad, never my mom. One photo from that era, snapped by an older sibling using Mom’s Instamatic camera, seems to capture our family dynamic. We are in the living room of the house that had the front-porch swing. I might be around four years old. My hair is cut short, pixie style, and I am wearing a long-sleeved, cotton-ribbed bathrobe. Dad, kneeling, wears a suit coat and a bowler hat. His hands are clasped behind my back and mine are hooked around his neck. Smiling, cheek-to-cheek, we face the camera.
Dad and I are in the center of the photo while Mom is in the lower left hand corner. She is sitting in a chair, and wears a plaid skirt and a turtleneck sweater. Her passive face is turned toward the camera.
That snapshot captures my life: Dad at the center and Mom on the perimeter.
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.
Interview:
Where are you from?
I was born in Lincoln, Nebraska and my family moved to Aberdeen, South Dakota when I was eight years old. Then we moved to Durango, Colorado when I was eleven years old and back again to Lincoln when I was thirteen. After graduating from high school, I moved to Idaho. Of all the places I’ve lived, I’ve lived in Idaho the longest.
Tell us your latest news?
My latest news is that I am writing a second book; 52 inspirational writings for those who have survived the loss of a loved one by suicide. Also, I facilitate workshops entitled: Experience Emotional Wellness Through Forgiveness.
When and why did you begin writing?
I began writing after getting married and becoming a Mom. Instead of dropping my son off at daycare and returning to the 9-5 routine, I chose to stay home and raise him. My husband became the full-time breadwinner.
Staying home with our son gave me time to explore the idea of writing. I began with journaling, and then decided to try submitting an article to Mother Earth News, a publication I loved to read. This was in the 1980s before everyone in the world had a computer connected to the world wide web. I typed my article; about how we’d bought an old house for $500 and then tore it down and used the materials to build a “new” house, on a manual typewriter. Then, I submitted it via snail mail. I was surprised and elated that they bought my article for $80.00. After that I pursued other publications that purchased articles from people such as myself, a freelancer.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
Even though I did not consider myself a writer, I joined a writer’s group several years ago. I admired the other women who I considered to be writers because they knew so much more than me. Hanging out with these women, it dawned on me one day that even though I’d not yet published a book, I was still a writer.
What makes a person a writer is when they themselves recognize that they are a writer and then live like a writer. We all live our lives according to who we believe we are and since I recognize myself as a writer, I live and act accordingly.
What inspired you to write your first book?
I was inspired to write my first book because the story lived inside my head for so many years and it seemed the right thing to do was to tell it by writing a book.
Do you have a specific writing style?
I’ve been told that my writing is authentic and that my vulnerability and truthfulness is an inspiration to others. I think writing a fiction book would be much harder for me because I’d have to make everything up.
How did you come up with the title?
My writer’s group helped me to come up with a title that fits the contents of my book.
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
Yes, I want my readers to grasp the truth that unforgiveness can wreak havoc in one's life. Unforgiveness comes in a package with resentment, bitterness and anger. This package causes us so much pain and agony. But, when we forgive, then we set that package aside and take up freedom, lightheartedness and joy.
How much of the book is realistic?
The book is based on my experiences and my memory of them. Conversations with my siblings, husband and sons helped me to check the accuracy of those memories.
Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
The experiences in my book are based on my own. Although the lives of others intersected with mine, the story is based on my perspective.
What books have most influenced your life most?
I am an avid reader. Last month, I read nine books. Over the years various authors have influenced my thinking, so I will list these authors of nonfiction; Jan Harris, Thomas Keating, Martin Laird, Macrina Wiederkehr, Andrew Farlely, and Henri J.M. Nouwen.
If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
Andrew Farley is presently my spiritual mentor. As far as fictional writers, I really like Kent Haruf and Ivan Doig.
What book are you reading now?
I am a real fan of historical fiction based on the WWII era. I just finished The Italian Ballerina by Kristy Cambron. I also just finished a very good memoir by Rifqa Bary entitled, HIding in the Light. Presently, I am reading Philip Yancey’s book Prayer and another book by Kristy Cambron, The Ringmaster’s Wife.
Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?
New authors for me are those authors that I’ve just recently discovered myself; Kristy Cambron falls under that category.
What are your current projects?
My latest news is that I am writing a second book; 52 inspirational writings for those who have survived the loss of a loved one by suicide. Also, I facilitate workshops entitled: Experience Emotional Wellness Through Forgiveness.
Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members?
I feel very supported by the ladies in my writer’s group. There is nothing quite like spending time with those who understand what it is like to be a writer. We meet once a month and before our meeting, submit a piece to be critiqued. Then, we share our insights with each other concerning the piece that has been submitted. My writer’s group supports and teaches me both at the same time.
What would you like my readers to know?
I’d like my readers to be encouraged by my story. God sees all, knows all and is personally interested in each one of us. I’ve never regretted having encountered Jesus and am so very grateful I accepted what he offered me; life.
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