Living With Mt Vesuvius

A daughter’s journey with a mentally ill mother and the experiences God gave her to endure The author weaves into our hearts tales of her childhood, adolescence, and adult years spent with a mother who battled the demons of mental illness and depression. The mother ached for an alcoholic husband who abandoned her with two small children, struggled every day to support her family, and unleashed her anger on her children. She was the author’s Mt. Vesuvius, a volatile, unpredictable Italian volcano that erupted in rage and bitterness. As the author grew older, she gained a unique appreciation for the people and experiences placed by God in her path to help her grow, survive, and even bloom despite the volcanic ashes that nearly buried her. This is a story of courage, spirit, fight, and survival. The author shares this deeply personal journey to inspire readers to give thought to the adversities dealt to them, to learn life’s lessons, and then to move forward with courage, dignity, and unabashed hope.