Courage faces fear and thereby masters it” Martin Luther King, Jr. It’s not something I ever thought I had. Courage is for soldiers and firefighters, police, paramedics and martyrs. Because of Covid, it’s the stuff that makes healthcare workers, grocery clerks and delivery truck drivers heroes. But addiction introduced me to another kind of courage. …
People, People who need people, Are the luckiest people in the world We’re children, needing other children And yet letting a grown-up pride Hide all the need inside Acting more like children than children Barbara Streisand, People album, 1964 The need for other people was never stronger than when my son was actively abusing …
On a downtown street in Annapolis hand-knitted scarves are tethered around trees and telephone poles. Each bears a small card that reads: “I am not lost. I was handmade for you. If you are cold and in need, please take me.” — Naptown Knitters In a chilly wintry wind, these colorful scarfs offer warmth – …
She stares up at me with auburn eyes, alert and ready for any movement. Walking with Charlie, our two-year old adopted greyhound, brings time for reflection, especially on the cusp of a new year. Nine years ago on New Year’s Eve my son entered a far-away treatment center. I faced that midnight frantic with fear …
Living in downtown Annapolis, we’ve been watching reconstruction of Lawyers Mall, the open-air, bricked plaza facing Maryland’s State House, for more than two years now. Recently, I spoke with one of the dozens of workmen. “Just a few more weeks,” he said. “It’s been a daily haul, but we’re almost there.” Even his thick, dusty …
December. Even the word conjures joy, starlit skies and glittering streets, breath that dances in the air, sweet candy cane kisses. A world in the best of moods. But maybe not this year. In these ominous December days, when the gift of health is probably the greatest of all, I am grateful that my family …
A mom phoned the other day to talk about her daughter, just 19, living in a far-away state. The girl had been abusing drugs for several years, drifting in and out of treatment centers. She wanted desperately to “come home,” again. After listening carefully, I asked this distraught mother, “How is your husband handling this?” …
Because of COVID, my family will not be together this Thanksgiving. But we’ll be fine. We have years of warm memories. All, except one. When Jacob was actively using and falling deeper into addiction, Thanksgiving brought only sadness. He was 21. Weeks before the holiday he entered his first inpatient treatment. After years of abusing …
It always surprises me how many people don’t know it. It also surprises me how many do. When I first heard the Serenity Prayer, there was no personal link to addiction. In 1992 my work with a local health system landed me at the ribbon-cutting of the region’s first inpatient, substance use treatment center, called …
Jacob was right. I just didn’t understand it at the time. It was eight years ago and one year into his sobriety. We were seated at an outdoor breakfast café in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida where his recovery had taken him. How clearly I recall his words, and the calm, quiet way he delivered them. “Ma, …