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Unfaithful Mind

by Marion Gibson
Excerpt contributed by Bridgeross Communications Publishing

“What had happened to our beautiful happy life? Could it really be over for us?
I just wasn’t sure if our love was strong enough to keep us together.
I probably believed it wasn’t.”

It was an idyllic marriage. John and Marion were high school sweethearts who married and began a successful life together. He, an internationally respected scientist in his field and she, a business woman in her family firm. With three children and finally settled in Victoria. BC, Canada after stints in Vienna and Australia, tragedy struck.

Despite the eventual and probable diagnosis of late-onset schizophrenia, John & Marion struggled to hold their family together and to deal with an illness that usually strikes much earlier in life. This is their story of what happens when the mind betrays you.

Excerpt:

“So how are things now? It’s not all doom and gloom. I love my husband with all my heart. I am filled with so much pride for him. I admire his courage and strength, and I am in awe of his positive attitude. I appreciate his determination, his willingness to carry on and not give up. He has stood up tall every day and challenged this illness and constantly fights to put his life back together. He always says it could be worse and that is so true. We are still together and working on getting our happy back.

I am still in love with my husband and just as honoured to be his wife today as was the day I married him. When I look into his face, I do not see a man with schizophrenia. I see an intelligent man driven to succeed. I see a man who would do anything to protect his family. There is nothing more important to John than the kids and I. He works hard at getting better because he has so much at stake.

When I look into John’s beautiful eyes, I see love looking back at me. The crazy eyes have long gone away. When I think about what our children have inherited from their father, being scared for them isn’t the first thing I think about anymore. I think about the exceptional qualities that he has passed to them like courage, kindness, tenacity and generosity, for these are the qualities we believe that determine success and happiness in this life. I will not let this illness define the future of our children.

I have to learn to accept this horrible illness rather than spend all my time and energy fighting it. I need to work through the grief and anguish this illness has brought to our family. No one knows what causes schizophrenia but I am hopeful that medical researchers will figure it out one day.  I too, in time, will rise to the challenge and learn to work around it.

Knowing John is not the same man is painful. Every day I pick-up a piece or two from our old life and place it into our new life. Mostly every day is better than the day before. Sometimes it’s not and we have to work at it but most days are good.

John smiles more now and his sense of humour is returning. We are able to laugh at each other’s jokes. There are times during the day where one or both of us are happy, even if is just for a few moments. Our dreams and our future are waiting for us somewhere out there, we just need to wait a little while and then go after them. John is still the same kind, loving man I fell deeply in love with all those years ago and together we will learn to cope.

We will embrace our life together and we will be happy again. This is a love story after all…”

Marion Gibson has been featured in Vancouver’s Georgia Straight Magazine and been on CBC radio in Vancouver and Victoria discussing her and her family’s journey. She has lectured at Movie Monday in Victoria on her experiences and presented to psychiatrists at the Royal Jubilee Hospital at their Grand Rounds.

From a review on Amazon:
“A terrific read that will suck you into the bizarre world of severe mental illness. This book is very unique, as this story is told by both husband and wife. Regardless of your interest in mental illness, you will be moved by this love story. By the end of the book I was left cheering this family on for a successful recovery.”

To read more, you can read samples online at www.bridgeross.com

The book is also available in e-book formats for Kindle, Kobo, Nook and via the Apple I-book store and Google Play. You can buy hard copies at Amazon, Chapters/Indigo, Barnes and Noble as well as from any other bookseller with titles from Ingram Publishers.

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