Recovering Out Loud
On October 16th, I celebrated 4 years living in recovery! I experienced a wide range of emotions leading up to that date, but on the morning of my anniversary I woke up with tears in my eyes because I felt so incredibly blessed. It’s still hard to believe I am able to live this life... Continue Reading →
The following conversation took place while I was speaking with the inmates at the Milwaukee women's prison this past Friday night. Me: "Welcome ladies! Thanks for joining me tonight." Woman: “You don’t look like one of us.” Me: “One of who?” Woman: “One of US!” She points to herself and her friends. “You don’t like... Continue Reading →
“Addiction doesn’t care whether I live or die, so it’s important that I do.” Vanessa Day
I've been having trouble writing lately. Every sentence, every idea. I've had an extremely difficult time finding my words. So I asked myself, "Am I just trying too hard?" I am just going to write today, with no "goal" in mind, other than to let some of these thoughts out of my head. If it... Continue Reading →
Change. I wasn't always the type of mom who took the time to braid her daughters hair, or read her books at bedtime, or paint her fingernails 5 different colors. I wasn't always the type of mom who let her daughter crawl into bed with her after she’d had a nightmare. I wasn’t always prepared... Continue Reading →
When I was a child, I was convinced that adults never cried. I thought that maybe someday I would reach an age where crying would no longer be my emotional response to things like fear, stress or anger. When this change didn't occur, I started to see those who did not cry as strong, and myself... Continue Reading →
Last week, my daughter came to me with tears in her eyes and told me that when she looked in the mirror she thought she looked ugly. She doesn’t like the dimples in her smile, she's not a fan of her “butt-chin,” and she was afraid that she would never fit in because of “her face.”... Continue Reading →
The #MeToo movement has caused some serious self-reflection in my life. Although I am not ready to write about the actual assault in detail, I do feel comfortable writing about the aftermath. I think... First, there are the flashbacks... I am 19 years old and I have just woken up with a stranger on top... Continue Reading →
I haven't written in a few weeks. Life has been busy and full of the gifts of recovery. I am grateful, and I truly feel blessed. My daughter wants to be in theater. She is almost 8 years old, and she loves to sing and dance and put on plays with her friends. I brought... Continue Reading →
