Being an Influence...

I was moved to tears yesterday when my youngest daughter talked about a college paper she was writing. The teacher instructed the class to write about the person who most influenced their lives. And prior to writing the paper, each student had to tell about the person they'd chosen - and why.

My daughter started by saying the person who most influenced her had spent 15 years in prison, used heroin for some 38 years and had drunk alcoholically for over forty years….

She said as she started, class members were looking at her in disbelief.  Because she had to explain this person's influence, she said they waited expectantly to hear what she had to say.

She explained that in spite of her father's addictions and incarcerations, he’d gone on to live in sobriety for the last 21+ years – and had become a successful businessman and entrepreneur.  Witnessing this, she learned she could accomplish whatever she wanted if she tried hard enough.

While I had an inkling that my daughter felt this way, it was a bit overwhelming to hear how she'd stood in front of a class to tell about it. I'm gratified and humbled to be a part of her success – any part.

I'll likely use this anecdote in some of my counseling sessions. Because many times our clients don't see much point in getting sober. They often don't look at the bigger picture to see how living sober can have a positive impact on their loved ones -and the rest of the world.

I'm grateful to my daughter for bringing this story to me.