A special advertising section
The FACE of Real Estate & Resilience
Lisa Santacaterina, MKB Realtors
I’m caught somewhere between a girl longing to go back to a time I didn’t feel the intense fears of the world and a woman that is so empowered. Empowered by a love and mission to be better, more importantly. I’m here, as a light in the darkest of days.
On the unfiltered surface, I am a woman in her mid-forties diagnosed with PTSD. I have bouts with panic disorder and agoraphobia. I have had suicide ideation, at my worst calling a suicide hotline, having wanted to jump.
I was 23 and losing my mind. Afraid of my own heartbeat, 10 p.m. and the witching hour. I was no longer in control; my life had completely spun out and I was losing all touch with reality. The pulse of my existence was beating in rapid succession. Gasping for breath. There I was standing on top of a mountain toeing the line between life and certain death. The wind was engulfing me as if to say, “Jump. It won’t hurt, you are weightless.” I was stirring, continuously looking over the edge, hoping to catch a glimpse of a better life. The truth was this: It was darkness, and at 23, I was sleeping with the light on.
On my bad days, I suffered with shortness of breath, dizzy spells, heart palpitations and a fear of everything on the other side of the front door. My struggles seemed trivial to most. “Take a deep breath!” “Relax!” “Is it really that bad?” The answer appears easy, but I can’t breathe – I’m gasping for breath. Relax? What if my heart stops beating or slows down too much? No, it’s not that bad, it’s worse! I was on a journey I didn’t understand. I couldn’t help but wonder if I had become what my own mother had feared the most – was I my father’s daughter?
An encounter with loss and the realization that life is too short to wait prompted me to take the leap into real estate. My greatest adventure was a perfectly timed “Someday.”
I often get asked what brought me to Virginia. It’s simple, really – a house. A house I instantly fell in love with. I wanted a place where we could feel connected, where our “Someday” would begin. And so “that” house called me home. It became a place where I could heal and grow. Sometimes life is worth the risk, and sometimes, it’s the one you didn’t know you needed. Sometimes people around you aren’t going to understand your journey, and that’s okay. It’s not for them; it’s for you.
When you are ready, I am here to help make Southwest Virginia home. I believe in connection and safe spaces. Home brings us back from the day and encourages us to lean in to tomorrow. A home helps us celebrate every big (and little) moment. I trust the story of home; it’s a work of heart for me.
LisaS.MKBRealtors.com | SheddingYourStory.com | (540) 988-3434 | 3801 Electric Road SW, Roanoke, VA 24018
