The last couple of weeks I have read several parents in struggles and some in rejoice. Heather's Mom, with a smile I could picture as broad as her face and Tori with a pain so bad you want to somehow just crawl deep inside yourself and curl into a tiny ball to keep the pain and anger out. Other parents I read all seem to be somewhere in between. We are all on our own journey, someplace along this path. I wrote this to Tori and I could have written this to many so I am just going to re-post my comment to Tori here.
Where there is life there is hope.
That simple statement has sustained me in many a dark time. During a very dark time for me a friend said that to me. I don't know if he knew how profound that was to me at the time, I didn't even know I just heard the words and applied them to my sons situation.
On the face of that statement it seems so simple. As long as my son is alive there is hope he will see the light and give up his life of drugs. That is what I heard when my friend told me, where there is life there is hope.
Then I began to think what really does this mean to me, what is the real meaning to that statement? After a lot of deliberation I was able to feel the true meaning of those simple words.
Life is not just about our addicted sons. Where there is life there is hope applies to our life too. We can hope for our child to see the light but we can also hope for our own acceptance, peace and happiness.
This statement applies to all of us and all of those we love. When I looked around I saw life surrounding me. A wife, daughters, mother, brother, sister, caring relatives and friends in every direction I turned. Then it began to dawn on me, where there is life there is hope!
Where there is life there is hope. Yes there is! Where there is life there is hope.
What does it mean to you?
14 comments:
Thank you for this powerful post.
I've missed your blog! And what a great post to come back to. It's so true. Where there is life, there is hope. Even when the hour is it's darkest and you feel there is nothing left to take or give the light can begin to shine. Never stop hoping - ever.
It means to me that while I am living, I can make choices, and look around me at all the wonders of this life. I do not need to focus on the worst things in life, but on those things that are positive and bring me joy. Thanks for a good thought today, Ron.
Amen!!!!
my brother said that same thing to me once,....and it also gave me hope to hang on to. great post. It's just so true.
You brought me to my knees today. This is the only thought that has gotten me through those tough times. When I was faced with the reality that my son might die or spend years behind bars, I always gave thanks for the fact that he was alive. Today, he is in a season of recovery and I know there is hope!
It is much easier to feel hopeful when our loved ones are in treatment or working a 12 step program. We had a taste of that, only to be followed by my sons relapse that seems to know no end. I try to maintain hope by telling myself that each day is one day closer to a possible recovery. Thank you for reminding us never to give up hope. I will never forget your heart wrenching post last July. So happy for you that you are in a better place today.
Thank for this post.
I had a counselor say those same words to me a couple years ago when my daughter walked out of treatment to live with her clean at that moment, boyfriend. She had completed 3 months of treatment and was offered a year long internship as a volunteer live in staff member. It was such a great opportunity and she walked away from it after about 10 weeks. Things were ok for a few months but quickly digressed into chaos and heartbreak for all. I went back to those words over and over again. Thanks Ron for being out here and sharing your journey and your thoughts. You are such a gift to our blogger community.
Sometimes life is the only hope that is left. Thats why when i was depressed i couldn't see it. I could only see the burning life still left inside me. Even a little bit of life lights up the dark.
Interesting you said "sons" I've noticed before that in opiate addiction males outnumber females 3:1. I've no idea why that is. I do have a theory that I will post at mine and direct you to it would take too long to go into in a nutshell it says that coke is masculine; heroin is feminine so boys are drawn to heroin, girls to cocaine. There is some truth in this.
Anyway I'll go now, take care of yourselves.
:-)
Thank you. I needed this on a very dark and seemingly hopeless night.
Hannah
I am still thinking about that post Ron. I came over here to see what was going on with you and read it again. I am glad you posted it, it is powerful to read and as usual you make me think. As you know I had so much hope when he was in rehab. He isn't with a Sponsor or at a N/A meeting tonight he is out with his druggie friends. Deep down I have some hope albeit how little but in reality the most hope I have ever had in the last few years is when he was in rehab - all other hope was a false hope in other words believing in his lies and not wanting to face the truth. Right now, I am feeling far less hope in myself. I know it was out of anger and he was mad because his x took what heroin he had left but he BLAMED me for this relapse because we put him in the sober living HE wanted to go to and begged us to get it, pay for it before the one bed was gone. I am having a hard time with that. I have hope but maybe it is the faith I lost. Thanks for a great post.
great post ...as always
for me it has provided sustinence in times when things w/ my son's recovery were completely stalled... at about 2 years..the "Hope" changes..now i hope he continues his recovery.
Back when he was "running hard" I would hope that each hour he would not take his last breath...
Today is a good day..and I want to thank you for your continued support
- parent of addict
Yes, yes, yes! Thanks for this one. And thanks for your outreach efforts to young people. God bless you!
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