My Leaning Post

When faced with the truth of her experiences, Elizabeth Jeane Baldwin finds that in an effort to find acceptance, she has lived her life as someone else. One of Elizabeth Jeane Baldwin’s earliest memories is of being confined to her family’s Midwestern farmhouse. A “Quarantine” sign nailed to the front door and a pane of icy glass separated her from the father she loved and leaned on for comfort. This cold separation is perpetuated throughout her life, beginning with her emotionally distant mother and complicated by her father’s growing bond with a woman he invited to come live with the family and assist him on the family farm. After her father’s betrayal, Elizabeth leans on the strict teachings of the Catholic Church for support until a “sin” sets her spiraling into a life of debilitating shame and guilt; a sin which leads her astray from her life of innocence into one of paralyzing fear, betrayal and abuse. While in pursuit of a sense of belonging, Elizabeth uncovers her mother’s most guarded secrets. It is the discovery of these secrets, which allows her to discover the woman she truly is, as opposed to the woman others have molded over the years - a woman who finds that you can love others for all their humanity and not be forever bound by their limitations. It is her lifelong yearning for a connection with God and family that eventually leads Elizabeth to discover that the strongest, most supportive relationship she will ever have is the one she forges with the Spirit of God within herself. It is this discovery which changes her life, and perhaps, will change yours.