From Brokenness to Bravery: Lucille Barkman’s Story of Loss, Healing, and Helping Others
Lucille Barkman is a breath of fresh air in a world that often hides its pain behind polished images and surface-level conversations. On a recent episode of The Life Unscripted Podcast with Rosabel, we sdiscussed herreal, raw, and deeply personal journey —rom betrayal to spiritual exile, devastating grief, and ,ultimately, purpose.
Lucille is a mentor, a professional listener, and the founder of a new business designed to walk beside women during life’s most difficult transitions. But before she became a source of strength for others, she had to find a way through her own pain.
A Life Turned Upside Down
About twenty years ago, Lucille's life unraveled most heartbreakingly. Her husband left her for her first cousin. What followed was a storm of betrayal, single parenting three daughters, and being excommunicated from the only church and community she had ever known.
“I felt like my life went up into the air and came crashing down again,” she said. “I was emotionally numb. I didn’t cry. I didn’t scream. I didn’t feel anything. And in a way, maybe that was a blessing—I don’t know if I could have handled the full weight of it all.”
Despite the pain, Lucille never stopped moving forward. “Crawling under the blankets and staying there wasn’t even an option,” she shared. Something deep inside her refused to let her give up.
Leaving the Only World She Knew
As Lucille worked through the trauma of divorce, she also began to question the faith she had been raised in. “We were conservative Mennonites,” she explained, “and when I started to heal, I realized that the teachings no longer felt right.” Leaving the church wasn’t just a spiritual decision but social, cultural, and emotional. It meant cutting ties with family, friends, and the only structure she had known.
She described a moment driving back from a weekend trip with her daughters: “It felt like I was coming back to hell. A black cloud just settled over us. That was when I knew—we had to leave.”
So she packed up her daughters and moved to Vancouver Island for several months, stepping entirely away from the world she’d grown up in. “That was when everything truly changed,” she said.
A Mother’s Worst Nightmare
Several years later, tragedy struck again. Lucille received a call from her daughter’s employer—her middle daughter had been killed in a car accident just steps from her own home.
“I answered the call, and when I hung up, all I could say was, ‘F***.’ I turned to my coworkers and told them, ‘My daughter was just killed.’ And then, somehow, I kept going.”
Lucille credits her ability to move forward to years of already navigating grief, trauma, and loss. “Honestly, we had talked about death so many times before—my kids and I used to say, ‘Let’s just go to heaven, it would be easier.’ So in some way, when she passed, I knew she was safe. I never had to worry about her again.”
Still, the toll caught up with her two years later when she lost her job during COVID. “I physically shut down,” she said. “My body just couldn’t go anymore.” That’s when she knew it was time to stop surviving and start healing.
Learning to Ask for Help
One of the most powerful messages Lucille shared during our conversation was the importance of asking for help—a lesson that took years to learn. Raised in a lineage of survival, she believed she had to do it all alone. But a recent injury forced her to reach out.
“It felt like I was imposing,” she said. “But when we don’t ask, we also rob others of the opportunity to give.” Her vulnerability and honesty remind us that strength isn’t in doing it all, but in letting others in.
From Pain to Purpose
Lucille always knew there was a “thing” inside her—a calling to help women like her. After years of working jobs she didn’t enjoy, she finally spoke with a coach who gave her the permission and encouragement she needed: “You can create a business from your life experience.”
And she did.
Today, Lucille offers mentoring, compassionate listening, and guidance to women wexperiencingseparation, spiritual disconnection, grief, and change. “I’m not here to fix you,” she ssays. ut I will walk beside you and help you figure out your next step.”
💬 Final Thoughts from Rosabel
Lucille’s story is a powerful reminder that we are not defined by what breaks us. Instead, we are shaped by how we rise. Whether you’re facing loss, betrayal, loneliness, or simply feeling lost, her journey shows that healing is possible—and sometimes, just having someone to listen makes all the difference.
If her story resonated with you, I encourage you to reach out. Lucille is ready to listen, guide, and stand beside you.
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