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

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

2 Faces 2 Lives

I have found that I live with 2 faces, 2 distinct lives. There is the life as a mother of an addict and the life where I pretend everything is perfect. Until recently most people never saw the mother of an addict they only saw the mother of 3 with the great husband living a

It’s working!

I think that my son really has gotten it! Sticking to boundaries are easy though when they are working. It’s when they aren’t working that I feel the stress. But I am so very glad that I stuck to them about watching the kids at the last minute and every weekend. Once he took the

Boundaries Can Work

I really think it’s finally sinking in! Yes, boundaries do work if you don’t give up. I have been trying for so long to get my son to stop badgering me when I say I can’t do something for him. Recently it’s been watching his kids. Every day it’s another request and another outburst when

Recovery Doesn’t Equal Peace

I am finding that although my son is in recovery, many of his personality traits still reflect his drug use. He is very selfish, he only wants from others and isn’t giving. Everything he does has a motive behind it. He still tries to make others feel guilty and always has a million excuses. So

Patience in Recovery

Sometimes I believe we need to have a little patience. Waiting for things to happen is difficult. We want to jump right to the final version without doing all the work required to get there. In other words we expect instant gratification. The same concept applies to recovery, both for the addict and their family.

Growth

Growth is defined as the act or process, or a manner of growing; development; gradual increase. So you see growth is a gradual increase, not a one day or one week or even one month time. There is no time limit, as long as you are changing, evolving, then you are growing. You don’t need

Sunshine on a Cloudy Day

Recently I saw a post that gave me a new perspective on judging how my day, week or month is going. Instead of measuring your success by the chores or job you completed try measuring it by how you touched other peoples lives. How many smiles did you share? How many kind words did you

Repost- Repressed Anger

Left unprocessed, repressed anger will wreak havoc on your happiness, your relationships, and your overall life. “But I’m not an angry person. I never get angry!”, say most people everywhere. Chances are, if you found your way to this article, there’s some repressed anger buried somewhere deep inside of you. And it isn’t your fault.

Repost – 7 Ways to release Anger

Seven Ways to Release Anger Out of Your Body No emotion is negative unless we refuse to feel it. Read more at http://www.beliefnet.com/wellness/personal-growth/seven-ways-to-release-anger-out-of-your-body.aspx#eBh2dkiaeXVZp0iP.99 Anger is a feeling of powerlessness. However, within your anger is a tremendous sense of power, purpose, passion and meaning because when you feel angry, it’s because you wanted to do something

Family Love, Family First

Holidays can be both fun and stressful. Which was yours? I hope you were able to find a little bit of peace and relaxation for yourself. I was blessed to have all 3 of my children home and to share the day with friends and family. It was wonderful to see the little ones playing

Listening is Good Medicine

Sometimes you just need to get the opinion of someone removed from the situation to assure yourself that what you are doing is the right thing to do. It doesn’t mean you’re weak, crazy or nuts, it just means you need a little support. When you are constantly giving to everyone else it is important

Autumn, Season of New Paths

Autumn is almost here. It’s the season of pumpkin everything! Either you love it or you don’t but wherever you look you’ll soon be seeing the signs of the changing season. I enjoy Autumn almost as much as hot summer days. Autumn gives you the chance to bundle up, take hayrides, carve pumpkins, peruse local