Friday, March 28, 2014

A Milestone

He stood straight and proud in his work uniform, chest out.  He stared directly at the camera, the picture of self-esteem.  A small smile was on his face.
It was the type of picture one might send home to mom and dad the first day on campus.  Or from the Army after graduating from basic training.  But it wasn't.
The photo was of a longtime treatment client who achieved a goal he set in early recovery: to go to school and learn a trade.  And the photo wasn’t for his family.  It was for those of us who mentored him through his early recovery.
In this space I often write of drama and relapses involving our clients.  I do this to emphasize the pitfalls we face in recovery.
Yet, once in a while it's nice to get something like this photo – depicting a milestone in a client’s  recovery.