As a child, I was raised in a home that I have since characterized as “thunder and lightning”. I came out of my childhood years with low self esteem and a very poor start on my adult life. The journey I have been on ever since, walking out a healing process that has taken decades, has shown me quite a bit about the ripple effect of healing and the generational nature of family dysfunction. In my sixties, I began to document this journey as a testament to my children; an acknowledgement of what we had been through.
By the end of March 2016, when I turned 65, I had a pretty unpredictable case of Rheumatoid Arthritis which landed me in the emergency room. The doctors had to figure out why different joints would flare up every few days, some so bad I couldn’t get to work. Working through that with a Rheumatologist for the next several months brought me to the realization that I wasn’t really getting anything done other than getting to work and getting home, struggling most nights in pain trying to get some sleep, and getting up the next day and doing it all over again. I went for a lot of different tests during that time as well. As my doctor went through different medications over different periods of time, I eventually started having more good days than bad, getting to work regularly was happening again, and I began thinking about writing some of this down, too.
I am a bible believing, Christ following, fully committed Christian. But it hasn’t always been that way. In fact, like many, I would still be an agnostic if the God of the Judeo-Christian Bible hadn’t started working in my life in various ways to clear up the questions I had on the subject. I’m not very religious and am certainly not the person to be telling anyone else what they should do or how they should think. Over the years I have come to accept people right where they are. I have learned so much from so many in my life that I can’t imagine limiting that to some group who believes exactly what I believe. My experiences, whether you listen to me relate them in person or you are reading something I have written, are my own and are always related as factually as possible.
I actually don’t care if you believe or not. You needn’t worry about me preaching. If God doesn’t show up in your life, I have nothing to sell you, and you won’t find me wasting one minute attempting it.
Mike Secondino
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida