Walking Through Fire : Our Family’s Schizophrenia Journey
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Our Familys Schitzophrenia Journey: Walking Through Fire
For years, life was a whirlwind of success and steady growth. From the outside, we looked blessed—thriving businesses, a growing family, and a vacation cottage on the ocean. But then, the shift began.
When Schizophrenia entered our home through my son, Chance, the ground didn’t just shake—it cracked open. I watched the voices consume him, turning our world into a landscape of paranoia and unseen flames. In that moment, I realized that being a mother meant more than just providing; it meant arming up for a battle I never asked for.
I didn’t just change my schedule; I surrendered my old life entirely. I traded my website and our home in Boxford for the quiet, steady rhythm of caregiving. People saw a woman selling everything and moving abruptly—but what they were actually seeing was a mother walking straight into the fire so her son wouldn’t have to face it alone.
Today, my hands look different. They are the hands of a medication manager, an advocate, and a gardener. I’ve traded “extreme couponing” for extreme presence. The dirt under my nails from the garden isn’t just about growing food; it’s about the slow, sacred act of rebuilding a soul that was scorched by crisis.
This isn’t just a lifestyle change. It’s a rescue mission. And if you are currently walking through your own fire, I want you to know: new growth is possible, even in the ash.
If you’re loving someone through mental illness, know this—you are not alone. Your love is powerful, holy, and enough. Take the small moments you can to rest, to plant something, to remember who you are. You are needed, deeply.
With fierce love and dirt under my nails,
Kathy
If you or somone you love is struggling there is someone available to listen. You are not alone, reach out to Nami.org or the suicide and crisis hotline by dialing 988. To find services available in your area dial 211.
