At first I didn’t see him. What I saw was a small heap of rags, a mound of dark colors piled on the grass. Charlie and I were out for our daily jaunt. A two-year old, former racing greyhound, Charlie loves walking the streets, sniffing fresh green shoots and stopping short when she spies a …
A mother once asked me, “My son is about to celebrate his first year in recovery. He invited me and my husband to attend his AA meeting. They’re going to give him some sort of a medallion. Should we go?” It was the “should” that caught me short. As Al-Anon teaches, there are no “shoulds” …
Who knows for certain what prompts someone with an addiction to give it up? I’ve heard many men and women in recovery say, “I was sick of being sick,” or “One day I just decided that wasn’t how I wanted to live, “or “I found a Higher Power.” Jacob’s commitment to recovery began more than …
Recently a mother posed a question. Her son in his 30s is just beginning recovery, or so she believes. She asked me, “What do I say to my child who is now in recovery?” My first reaction was, How do you know he is in recovery? And if he is, you probably would not worry …
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 …