From the time I was young, I considered suicide. My mother was both physically and verbally abusive, and I was the almost exclusive victim of her violence. I frequently feared for my life, never knowing what would set off another explosive attack. My father and the rest of the immediate family were terrified of her. As I got older and saw other parent-child relationships, I realized that this wasn’t normal or safe. 

Growing up was scary, dangerous, and lonely, and my trust was often betrayed. I figured that suicide would be a relief for me and make things better for my family. By my freshman year of college, I didn’t see any reason to keep living.

The summer after my freshman year, however, I was introduced to Christian Science, and it saved my life. I started dating a guy who was a Christian Scientist, and he and his parents not only explained but demonstrated this healing system that I’d never known about. He gave me a copy of the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, and I saw how calmly and lovingly he approached life in general and problems in particular. After I read the book through, I had many questions, and he patiently explained everything I wanted to understand. (That man has been my husband for almost fifty years.)