It's still dark, so there's no one on the beach. Just the sounds that were here before people discovered that this is a lovely place to be in the summer.
My wife is sleeping beside me. In other parts of the complex are 14 family members. Children and grandchildren, ranging from their mid-fifties down to 6 months old.
We've been coming to this spot for nearly 20 years, most of my recovery. And at one time we all fit in one unit. Then babies came, people got married, and we kept having to lease more space.
The message is that none of this would have happened had not God blessed me with recovery.
From the day I walked into a detox in Mesa, Arizona January 13, 1991 my life has continually gotten better.
I was able to start TLC after my first year sober. I reunited with my family. I've been able to make investments. I found a loving wife to share it all with.
I have the privilege of helping other addicts and alcoholics change their lives and to reunite with their own families.
If anyone has doubts about what recovery can bring let me tell that you have no idea.
When I got sober I had no big plans. I only wanted the pain to stop. So I did what I was told and worked hard.
I had no grandiose ideas. I had a G.E.D. Three felony convictions. No money. No credit. Few friends. I didn't even have a change of clothes. My family was distant, loving but untrusting of my recovery.
Yet staying sober changed all that. It reunited me with my family. It brought prosperity, serenity, and more importantly - love.
What more can anyone ask?
