Every good plan has a backup. At least, that’s what I learned in years of management. But with COVID-19, planning is difficult. When Jacob was using, I could never plan. For a brief time we got into a semi-predictable rhythm. He worked at a local coffee shop. I worked at the hospital. My husband kept …
When my son was in active addiction, and I was lost how to help him – or myself – I feared looking too far into the future. For many months, each day brought a new horror. There were discovered remnants of drug use in his room or his backpack, places I felt I had the …
Buried on an inside page, the article was barely noticeable. When a pandemic takes over, there’s no space for other news. The headline on p.4 read: “Virus not sole factor for rise in US deaths.” Listed among the possible causes were falls, certain types of accidents around the house, and drug overdoses. Accurate data typically lags …
When my son was in active addiction I hated holidays. Mother’s Day was among the worst. Walking through town I passed families with teenagers, toddlers and baby carriages. My eye would catch a grandmother smiling beside her daughter, both women sporting painfully bright pink corsages or carrying a single, long-stemmed, red rose, or worse a …
Funny how a worldwide pandemic can prompt a new gratitude list. Husband, children, a home – my son years into recovery – all still count. But weeks of quarantine and social distancing have added a few others. They include… Legs that carry me three to four miles on a daily walk Other walkers who …
Have you ever taken one of those online personality quizzes? Where some inscrutable formula takes your answers to lame questions and then spits out your top leadership traits? Recently, such a quiz popped up on social media. Given these odd times, I gave it a try. After a brief questionnaire, the results came in: my …
While we stay shuttered in, while we honor the people who serve, and pray for healthcare workers risking their lives to save ours, I cling to what I know. During a crisis, beliefs don’t change. They just become clearer. This day, more than ever, I am grateful for what addiction has taught me. It reminds …
You know the word – even if the last time you read it was seventh grade English. Shakespeare’s tragedies defined it. Hubris: excessive pride or self-confidence often combined with arrogance. Hubris was the fatal flaw that brought down kings and deities alike. The more prideful, the greater the fall. As we witness the worst plague …
She was hiding. Even after years of headlines and documentaries and front page coverage on America’s drug crisis, this mother refused to share her story – with anyone. I can tell she is hiding. And I ache to help her. A professional colleague, she was just beginning to get a glimpse of this new world. …
I’ve often wondered if personal messiness was cause or symptom of an otherwise disorganized life. When Jacob was using, I tried to ignore it, rationalizing – didn’t all kids go through this phase? Or at least some? Surely he would grow out of it if I let him alone. There were bigger battles. But his …