Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Downs and Ups

Yesterday we experience the downs and ups of the recovery world.

It was a day of drama. Some clients doing dumb things. Not following rules, almost daring staff to enforce them.

And even though we don't like doing it we finally say enough. We have rules and guidelines for a reason. So we enforce them and deal with the tantrums afterward.

Then parents are wanting us to help grown children. Children who have no enthusiasm for recovery.

Later we hear of a former resident from a long time ago who didn't make it. We don't know what happened but think he succumbed to our disease. There's sadness among those of us who knew him because we thought he'd make it.

Later we encounter a client doing well. Has a job. Is healthy and positive. It's hard to believe this person ever drank or used drugs. An ambassador for our program.

We don't take any of this personally - the good or the bad. For our sanity we keep our egos out of it. We learned a long time ago that we're simply messengers. We deliver the message of recovery. Clients do with it what they will.

And we return to do it again the next day.

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