If this is not deserving of a reblog then I may as well be mad. Do yourself a favour, read about true love in the midst of mental health and all. Thank you Sheri for sharing all this. With this comment, I dash to my first lecture for my last semester in school. It wouldn’t be that difficult after all – I have a mini prince charming too 🙂
I’d arrived at the perfect time and place for daydreaming. My hair color specialist had finished the foils and Tom had presented me with my second venti non-fat latte—for the day—Starbucks. I’m addicted.
Tom asked, “Is there anything special you’d like from the grocery store?”
“No, you always get it just right.”
With a smile and a kiss to my cheek, he was on his way.
My colorist pulled up a chair and said, “You are such a princess and don’t even know it.”
I started to say, you haven’t a clue. We’d never talked of Tom’s illness or about my life as a caregiver. We talked about books, travel, movies and such. I’d had twenty-five years of pretending that we lived a charmed life.
Princess
What I had shared with my colorist were stories of how I hadn’t cooked a meal in…
I read this book on the 30th of December 2013 and this was my comment on its facebook page:
“Barb Parker, thank you for writing this book, it sure is a deserving homage to your sister and an honour to us the readers. Before I continue, I was just a bit disappointed that I don’t see pictures of your sister in her glows before the headaches began. I have an only brother who was a geek, everyone called him a computer he was super intelligent and my Mother’s Boy, I loved him so much and fought real fights for him. One day his life changed and ours as well. He sunk into a depression and is still so unstable, well you know much more. The last time I was blessed to speak with him, he sounded so happy and spoke for 30 minutes but the next day he wrote to me saying I should mind my business. When I read your book, and how Deb said things you would never have imagined of her like someone is cruel, I understood more. Yes there is strength in what remains and all things work out for the good of those who fear the Lord. Happy New Year.”
Well, a lot has definitely happened between that New Year’s Eve and now – simply put, I have also had the haunting experience of writing that very brother’s journey. Sure this book turned out to be my inspiration and I can’t thank Barb enough.
For me to ‘break’ my blog routine and post a book review on a Tuesday (instead of the self proclaimed 2 fridays a month), surely indicates something boiling.
Deb’s Journey
Sweet Deb on her wedding day
She was ever so sweet, pretty and polite until the headches she had been complainging of, were diagnosed to be a brain aneurism. Ok you help me out, that’s not one of them I understand. I however imagine the pain her family went through in trying to understand and help her through the numerous brain surgeries and 90° change in personality and much more. Were it not for the clear categorization of what was seemingly wrong, she could as well have had some mental illness.
I permit myself the luxury of commenting here that I think the family’s approach to a loved one’s illness (be it mental or physical – just whatever or even both), goes a long way in the ‘healing’ of the patient – yes even if that healing leads to death. (Healing to me means much more that being rid of your troubles or suffering and same for recovery – I leave my philosophy at this).
Deb Morin was a loving mother and wife. At the age of forty-nine, her life was changed completely by a brain aneurysm and stroke. Deb’s husband, parents and family felt helpless in their attempt to help bring back the real Deb.
Deb was blessed with many miraculous healings from God during her illness. She was always proud to tell people about God’s love. She never lost her faith. Her last days were spent singing hymns, praising God and talking about all the ways that God had healed her.
“What a beautiful tribute to your precious sister. The journal kept my interest all the way through. I especially liked how you brought her to the reader by describing her home and her decorating skills, her love for nice things, clothes etc. I found this let me know Deb as a real person since I had not met her: a wonderful way for your family and others to remember who she was as a sister.” —Betty Russell
Author Barb Parker and her husband, Larry, live on Grand Manan Island, N.B. Barb felt compelled to write My Sister’s Journey to fulfill her sister’s dream. It was Deb’s dream to write her story about her illness and journey from the daily journal that her sister kept for her. Deb was sure it would help someone. Deb’s unpredictable comments and escapades add flavour to her story.
My Take and Rate
Well, you already have most in the flash back. I have also mentioned how I admire her family’s determination to help her through. I can’t help but wonder if it would have been the same scenario were she mentall ill – as an official diagnosis. Lucky for her, the brain aneurism etc, explained the change in language, attitude every now and then and her return to babyhood.
Whatever, does it matter any more? Hell no! As I had mentioned in my first comment on the facebook page, there were no pictures of Deb’s glow before the flow into eternity. Barb started sharing all those on the facebook page, only much later – maybe my comment sparked that (I’ll be glad to know I did something no matter how foolish, childish or whatever). I gave the book a five star then, and still stand by that. I equally admire Deb’s faith and of course Barb’s and the entire family – to each his /her choice.
Barb and her books ( yes she wrote one called The Choice, which I will be reviewing in due time – I read both on the same December 30th 2013, fresh from the shelves), can be found on pretty several places. You can also find Deb’s story on the shelves of most libraries in Canada and in some USA Libraries too.
Tom asked, “Is there anything special you’d like from the grocery store?”
Princess 
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