"You can't heal the people you love.
You can't make choices for them.
You can't rescue them.
You can promise that they won't journey alone.
You can loan them your map.
But this trip is theirs."
A friend of mine sent me this verse today and I thought I'd share it with readers because it encompasses the exact way we should treat those we love who are in recovery.
One of the things that stood out for me 30 years ago when TLC first opened its doors, is how some parents who have their first experience with an addict child somehow have the idea that they have some kind of power over them.
While they may have the best intentions, once their child has stepped into the muck of addiction they have no authority that will allow them to change.
As the verse above states, they can be there for them, help them find a map to guide them - such as helping them get into treatment.
But the real work of recovering and changing their life is a trip for them take on their own until they are blessed with healing.
And the parent can be there along the way - and at the end - grateful the child survived.
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