What Keeps me Here

I’ve been thinking about the processes of starting and stopping, sliding and progressing, and even completely falling off the path. While the desire to move forward in a positive direction seems to have been planted somewhere deep inside, motivation is at best a flakey companion. I’ve had periods of time, okay decades, where I felt Read More

Your Thoughts Are Not Orders

I’ve spent the most part of this week taking care of a puppy and tapping into the patience reserve that exists to care for the very young and very old. Yes, we added a new member to the household, a 10-week-old Westie, to complement our 4-year-old dog of the same breed. It may have something Read More

Here is Everything

This week, I lived. Living consisted of teaching, being a parent, and a wife. Running a house, helping a friend, caring for my dog. Exercise, dentist appointments, rapid-Covid-19 tests, high school volleyball games, coffee, and books. Riding the wave from sleepy Monday morning, to exhausted Friday afternoon. Nothing life-changing, or earth-shaking, but I’m so glad Read More

The Element of Self-Sabotage in Relapse

I’ve been thinking about relapse lately, and why it happens. I picture a weakened figure sliding down the steep sides of a slippery pit. A bird caught mid-flight and thrown back into a rusty cage. The loudness of silence, waiting for the other shoe to drop. Ask anyone who has a history with drugs or Read More