It was August 2001 when my life took a turn for the worse...
Every day for the next two years was a struggle and I would be lying if I said I still didn't have my moments to this day. Back in 2001, without going into detail, I had a situation occur that brought me to the point where I didn't want to live, and I sure didn't know my purpose. One bite of oatmeal was a good day.
My doctors did what they knew to do, which was to prescribe drugs; you name it, I had it, and the meds kept coming. I was trying to work out all the feelings and emotions of this living nightmare that was occurring in my life.
Doctors wanted to admit me into Green Oaks, a hospital to help people in various crisis situations. It was a psychiatric hospital—a very sterile building where doctors wore white coats. Looking back on it, I needed to go but wouldn’t, due to the stigma I had in my head about being in a “psych ward.”
I frantically began searching online for a place to go to heal my broken heart. I was looking for a ranch, some type of natural home environment, but came up empty handed. I felt that there was a need for this kind of place, where a person can heal naturally in a peaceful home environment.
At the time, I thought, “Who, me? I'm nobody! I have no money and no knowledge about how to begin doing something like this. But I knew if I had been looking for such a place there had to be others like me, looking for the same type of place. That was when I decided to build it.
After researching online and other sources of how people heal, I knew it should be based on healing components, including: faith (optional), fitness, nutrition, pet therapy, traditional counseling, art therapy, massage therapy, and horticulture therapy. All food would be grown right on the property. There would be fruit trees, fresh goat and cow's milk, fresh eggs, and organically grown vegetables.
I never gave up hope and kept saving all my pennies until I was finally able to buy some land. I am now in the process of developing it to become that place of healing for others struggling with stress-related issues in life, as I was more than a decade ago.
That is the backstory of Monahan Ranch - the how and why of its beginnings. I thank each and every one of you for visiting my website. It is no accident that you are reading this.
- Debbie Monahan
Jeremiah 29:11
Monahan Ranch is located five minutes south of Waco, in Robinson, Texas.