Saturday, July 6, 2019

It has been many months since I wrote a post for this blog. Looking at the last post was I wrote was November 23, 2018.  Often I wondered if anyone even reads blogs anymore? Sometimes I even thought about should I take it down?

Last week I got a call from a mother. She remarked that she found peace reading my posts. She related that she didn't feel so alone. I checked and saw new comments to various posts. I even looked at the essays posted on The Partnership for Drug Free Kids, (www.drugfree.org) and they are still being read and comments being posted on them.

It makes me feel good that people are still getting help from writing. It makes me sad that people still are searching for help in my writing.

So many times I have wondered why we can't put an end to this scourge of drug addiction.

Darlene told me yesterday that an acquaintance of ours, his brother overdosed and died last week.

This morning a teacher that would host me in his classroom to speak to his students wrote me a note that one of his former students (from before I began speaking) died from an overdose. He related how he was a good student, good athlete and a kid everyone loved.

Makes me sad for this child (30 years old) and his family. Makes me sad for all the "statistics" but all those statistics are so much more than a number. They were brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, relatives, friends and human beings that deserved so much more. We deserved so much more from them too. We counted on their love and to be a part of our lives.

As I said to to that teacher that messaged me, I hope every student that heard my talks remembers me and my story when they are challenged.

Never miss an opportunity to extend a hand to someone struggling with addiction or alcoholism. You never know when it is their time to enter recovery. Recovery works. The love you show may be the straw that tips the scale.