Heal to Lead

Introduction

SITTING IN THE back seat of the family car, a white Crown Victoria with velvety, navy blue interior, my younger brother next to me, my mother pulled into the parking lot of the shopping plaza where our local movie theater was located. She maneuvered the gear shift into park, slung her right arm over the passenger seat, and turned around to look at us. “I wanted to let you know that your father won't be living with us for a while. He has some things to work out. And I don't know when he'll be back…. So, are you ready to see Honey, I Shrunk the Kids?”

Talk about shrinking already small children. Even at nine years old, I knew their marriage was rocky, but the words streaming from her mouth didn't make sense. I had so many questions. So many emotions. Mostly, fear. Who would protect me from her if he was gone from our house? I recall a distinct disconnect between her words and demeanor. No mutual responsibility taken for their dysfunctional relationship, no modicum of reassurance that everything would be okay, no time or safe space offered for Q&A. And now she wanted us to sit through some comedic science fiction movie?

I looked over at Kevin, just a year younger—Irish twins, as they say—a distinct mix of shock in his body and tears already starting to stream down his face, lip quivering. Within seconds, I tried to fit all of the pieces into the compartments that my logical brain could comprehend, organize the disparities, and suppress any emotions that were trying ...