One of the best changes that has occurred to me over the last couple of years is the ability to (usually) live in the moment. I don't--okay, I try not to--look off into the future, and I sure as hell don't dwell on the past (anymore). But as I've said before, sometimes it can be beneficial to look back at certain events just to gauge the progress that's been made.
Which brings me to today's post.
As my wife and I were getting ready to head out to a barbecue a few minutes ago, I looked at the calendar and realized that today is August 23rd. Seeing that date jogged my memory--or at least what's left of it--so I had to sit down and write this short post before we left the house.
Three years ago today my son left for residential rehab at Michael's House in Palm Springs, California. I discussed that event the day it happened in a blog post entitled "A New Journey Begins."
I believe with all my soul that my son's time at Michael's House and his subsequent stay at a sober living house in Palm Springs were the two key things that led to his recovery. Did he have some slip-ups after he got home from California? Yes. But I still believe that the treatment and knowledge he received out there eventually sunk in--and stuck.
Living in Michigan and putting your son on a plane to a treatment facility in California isn't easy. When we did that, my wife and I took a leap of faith and put our trust in others. And we are grateful every day that we did.
"None of us knows what might happen even the next minute, yet still we go forward. Because we trust. Because we have Faith." --Paulo Coelho
I can really relate to this post. In October it will be three years since we sent our son from Ohio to Louisiana for treatment. I will never forget putting him on that flight thinking it was perhaps the saddest day of my life. What I could not see at the time was that it was also a day of extreme hope. My son has stayed in Louisiana ever since and still lives in the program's sober living facility. Although that is hard on us as a family, we know that he has to make a life for himself where he can stay sober. He has a tremendous support system there. He will celebrate three years sober this fall. The decision to send him far away from home saved his life. Others may not agree with me but I believe sending young people far from home for long term treatment gives them an added advantage. I'm glad today is a good day for both of our sons.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I grew up with a parent that struggled from substance abuse and it was heart. I never lost hope though. It may have taken time for things to have fully healed but like you, I too was happy that we took a leap of faith with rehab. That said, you might want to share some of your rss feeds on Twitter via vWriter.com's, I'm pretty sure that there would be tons of people that would be glad to hear about your life story. :)
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