Sibling Day

National Sibling day was last week in the United States. It’s a day where everyone sends their siblings sweet messages to remind them why they are lucky to have them as a sister or brother. It’s a nice sentiment, a little like Mother’s day or Father’s Day but without gift exchanges. Just like Mother and

Heartbreak Doesn’t End

I wanted to order baby rings for my 2 older granddaughters. It was while I was looking that I came to the realization that mine are gone. I knew my engagement ring and wedding band were gone, but just realized that my 2 baby rings that I could have passed onto my grandchildren were in

Spring has Sprung!

Yes, it’s that time of year when we are all ready for warmer weather and time outside. The daylight hours are longer which gives us a sense of longer days. Days to spend with friends and family. Days outside maybe gardening or hiking. We all have our favorite activities. Here are some great products to

You Should Write A Book

Over the years I have been told numerous times – You should write a book. Looking back and knowing what I now know, the things that were so foreign to me, my family and my friends, was “normal” when dealing with a loved ones addiction. I knew that there were meetings that I could have

I Hope This is Change That Stays

My son has had another first! A good first. He brought 2 of his children with him to just visit, not to say I’ll be back in an hour but to actually stay and visit. There has been a little mother nagging going on about this. You see I hear all the time how I

Now that you’re Sober, what can you do?

As a parent of an adult child in recovery it sometimes makes family time difficult. You want to be sure that you do everything you possibly can to support their sobriety without enabling them in any way. This isn’t easy. In the beginning we were walking on thin ice. We have been disappointed so many

Life with an Adult Child in Recovery

Life with my son is like a roller coaster. There are so many slow climbs to the top and a few giant drops. I feel as though those descents, however bad they are at the time, actually teach me something and give me strength. Sometimes it also teaches my son something about life and people.

Dreams Can Change

It’s hard to give up on your dreams. I am trying to come to grips with this right now. My husband and I have always dreamed of moving to New Orleans area. 6 years ago I purchased a piece of property to start inching towards our goal. At that point in time we had 1

Recovery Takes a Team

The NFL playoffs have started. I don’t know who you’re rooting for. Some people stick with their hometown team, others pick according to their favorite colors and some because their parents are staunch fans. But we all have a favorite no matter how we got to that choice. I happen to cheer for 2 teams,

Words that Cut Deep

These past few days have been the perfect example of how it is to be the mother of an addict. My son has been clean and sober for 18 months but still has the personality traits that he had when he was in active addiction. He still has the temper, the “me first” attitude, the

Stress of the Holidays

Holidays can be joyful but they can also be stressful. Stress causes a lot of things. As the mother of an addict the stress I worry about is the stress on my son. He has been in recovery for over a year but the holidays bring with them a great amount of temptation along with

Being a Good Parent

I am learning each day how my children are all so different. I have set different boundaries for each as they have for me. Since I was a very hands on Mom I’ve become a very Hands On Grandmother. It’s just fine with my daughters but not so much with my son. It brings to

I learned to say No

Do I go cold turkey—to borrow a recovery phrase—or cut them off in baby steps? Do I continue to pay for things that support a drug-free lifestyle, like substance abuse counseling, sober living houses, rehab costs or sever all financial ties? What if they can’t afford to eat? What if they’re in withdrawal and ask

Ready, Set, and GO

How often do you go out of your comfort zone? Do you ever wish that you could or would try something new? I know I do and recently I’ve gotten better at challenging myself, after all we only get one shot at this life and I really hope I don’t give up my dreams for