My daughter has special needs arising from a genetic mutation called BCL11A. She may struggle with socially accepted forms of learning, but emotional intelligence is her superpower. She knew before all of us.
Around this time, I published a book I wrote. It was the story of my daughter overcoming her speech disability, a disability in which I happen to now specialize. My husband encouraged me to write a book, and I did during depressive episodes of his spanning the course of 3 years. In those three years, he also suffered 4 manic/psychotic episodes. Signs of mania can include anger and irritability. I know this because I've been to counseling and read books. My daughter, who has no training knew it before all of us.
"He yelled at you, his brain is sick!" she told me frantically. I assured her he was just mad at me and not to worry. People get mad and it's okay. It doesn't mean he's sick. She wouldn't have it. "He yells at you when he's sick mommy!" she would press. I validated that he does yell at me when he's sick, but that he's not sick and he was just mad. Turns out she was right and I was wrong.
During this particular episode he set off on a Friday afternoon. He had been at Denny's since 2 AM that morning and then went to work early. We were on Fall break, but usually Fridays were his day to get the kids to school since I work early. He had me drop them off at work and then he took them to my parents house. They reported he was overly talkative and my mom shared he had stared at her but was staring through her. I know now, he was likely experiencing hallucinations.
From there he left and returned to work but left at lunch to "work from home" and ended up at a Dodge dealership where he was contemplating buying a new truck. The salesman, my friend, reported he was cool and calm and nothing seemed out of the ordinary, except that he was talking about my new book and how proud he was.
That night he was gone. He had driven up to Wyoming, ditched my parent's loaner car on the side of the road and was walking to only God knows where. He lost the car keys, his debit card, and anything else on his person.......except my book.
I only found that out when he was about 11 days into an inpatient stay. "I'm reading your book and I can hear your voice in the words," he said to me. Incredulous I exclaimed, "You have my book???" How?? You lost everything on your person but you have my book??"
"I'm so proud of you, Laura," was his reply. I wept because not even my own parents or family members bought or read the book yet. I texted a friend who knew the situation and her reply was, "Wow, you really did dedicate it to the right person."
