The Golden Thread (2021 edition): A true story of Fear, Forgiveness & Faith

HONEST, INSPIRING, THOUGHT-PROVOKING, BIOGRAPHICAL:

Our lives are like a complex tapestry, with many threads weaving each of our unique and individual pictures. There is, however, one thing that we all have in common, one thread. The GOLDEN THREAD is God’s thread in our lives. It is always there, even when we feel that it isn’t. Just turn your tapestry over and you will see it continuing on the back. Always there! The GOLDEN THREAD.

This book is the true story of one man’s GOLDEN THREAD in his life. Brendan Conboy grew up in fear and confusion, struggling with many personal issues. These experiences formed a foundation that could have ended in disaster but instead became the motivator to want to make a positive difference. Brendan has experienced miracles, real miracles. He has walked through the valley of depression and death more than once, but emerged stronger on the other side. For almost 30 years he has been full of vision and passion to help young people. That’s why he became a youth worker and one of the most important lessons that he has learnt on his journey is that we need to share our knowledge and skill with others.

Extract from Chapter One: So let’s ‘start at the very beginning’. It is a good place to start. I now understand that the first eight years of any child’s life are the most impressionable and the most influential. Any amount of trauma can leave deep long-lasting effects. Our earliest memories form a foundation for our development. Positive memories and experiences will in most cases result in a positive development for a child. Whereas, a negative and traumatic memory could lead to disaster and, almost certainly, some level of help will be required to understand the confusing feelings that will be experienced later in life.

My earliest memory was one of my dad returning from the pub on a Sunday at about three in the afternoon. Mum had kept his Sunday roast warm in the oven (no such thing as microwaves then) but it had been so long it had dried up and was not fit for consumption. I’m not sure if I had reached my fourth birthday but I clearly remember my dad’s drunken anger. He was so angry that he threw the plate and contents at the lounge window, smashing the large centre pane, with the plate landing in the front garden. I don’t remember what happened next but I do remember the feeling of fear. That feeling would remain with me for at least the next ten years which is how long it would take before my dad admitted that he had a drink problem.

The power of any addiction can be all-consuming and alcoholism slowly and gradually took over my dad’s life. At times I will say that I didn’t really have a childhood and that my childhood started when I was fifteen years old when my dad stopped drinking. In fact, I did play childhood games but the big change was realising that my now constantly sober dad loved me. He had always loved me but the power of alcohol with associated anger and aggression had built up so much fear in me that I couldn’t see any love.