Friday, March 14, 2014

Strength in Recovery

Yesterday, when placing a voice-activated phone call while driving I inadvertently got hold of a man I hadn't spoken to since late last year.

The last time we talked I was offering condolences over the death of his son. The young man had been stabbed to death while waiting at a bus stop. The killer was a deranged psychotic who had been released from a state hospital within the previous 24 hours. This random act of violence rocked this man to his core. And it shocked all of us who have known him during his many years in recovery.

As we talked, I again expressed my condolences. And as we continued he said that one positive thing that he's gotten out of the loss of his son was that he’s able to share with those he sponsors that if one has a solid foundation in recovery there's never a reason to relapse.

He's an example of how a good footing in recovery can help us deal with the most devastating blows without picking up a drink or a drug.