I enjoy working with recovering addicts, even when they whine a lot and want to be doing most anything else but working on their sobriety. Because sometimes I see myself in them and that's rewarding because I realize that I've made progress from where I was 28 years ago when I first got sober.
And then I have things happen like occurred yesterday when I had a new washing machine delivered.
When I met the two delivery guys in front of my house one of them told me that I looked familiar, that he knew me from somewhere.
Then he remembered that he'd met me at an AA meeting when he first came to TLC. He said that he and his wife had both been sober for two years and had come to our program from another state where there weren't many recovery options for those without money.
At first, they were irritated because we wouldn't let them live together for the first 90 days. Because our policy is to separate married couples so they can focus on their sobriety rather than on each other.
He says that today he understands the policy because they now have two years' recovery and are doing very well. They both have jobs and are planning to purchase a home.
These encounters with past residents are heart-warming and the most rewarding part of my job.
Many times they give us credit for their recovery, but the reality is that they do all the work. We provide the structure and guidelines - but they're the ones who use them to change their lives.
The reward comes when they start living sober lives.
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