The Family Portrait

Book excerpt: Looking at a family portrait you can only see what the subjects want you to see. For Tim, secrets of sexual abuse, drug use, and the yearning to belong, all hid behind the fake smile and forced poses. After years of projecting himself as a carefree guitar-playing comedian, Tim thought he finally found self-worth in his marriage. But soon the pressures of having an autistic son resurfaced the feelings of worthlessness, and now doubting his role as a father, he broke. As a result he entered counseling and started journaling the hurts of his past. Writing only for himself, he vulnerably and genuinely unfolds his innocence from his first haunting memory to his discovery of forgiveness as the gateway to hope. The Family Portrait will surprisingly make you laugh, inspire hope and dare you to live more authentically.