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If We Only Knew
I’m in the locker room at the gym today with a flatscreen tv behind me while I get ready. Nick Vujicic is a guest on the Dr. Oz show. Maybe you’ve seen him. Nick was born with no arms or legs and speaks with infectious joy. They show a picture of him on a skateboard as a boy. He is lying on it, stomach down, head up at the camera and having a blast. I couldn’t hear the whole interview but when I drew close, he said, “Never give up. You don’t know what’s around the corner.” Behind him was a photo with his beautiful wife and little boy. 
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News You Can Use
One of Ted’s first drinking experiences was at a friend’s house. The mom was home, providing the alcohol. She decided that it was better for drinking to take place under her roof where she could supervise. Bush and I were not consulted on this decision. I knew and liked this mom, I called her to make sure she was home when Ted was there. We talked quite a bit but somehow the fact that she was serving liquor to my barely-high-school-age child never came up. …
Shared Hells
A father drives five hours to see if his son is still alive. He’s on Heroin and off the grid. “I think I’ll go tomorrow,” the dad says. “I’d rather deal with this in the light of day.” He can’t wait. He leaves in an hour.
Four days later mom has joined and together they’ve spent hours and hours trying to find detox and treatment for their son who sort of wants it. It’s a gamble they’re willing to take even though they’ve been in this place before. They talk to me from a hotel where their son needed to “take a break” from the negotiations and leave the room. They are frustrated, afraid and uncertain and long to hear a treatment facility say, “Yes, we have an open bed right now — bring him over.” …
Read moreGive an Addict Three Wishes
I am not an addict but I’ve mothered one. Our son has been in three states and not in the Midwest. He’s been in the state of pre-addiction where he most likely had the addictive predisposition personality but was busy with Power Rangers and banana popsicles. He has been in the addicted state for, well, who knows when that kicked in after his first marijuana cigarette in sixth grade. Now he is in a state of recovery – p
ost addiction you could say, where I pray he will remain forever and ever.
He is fully himself without drugs, with all the goodness I knew was in there. We parents of addicted children always say that,. “He/she really is a sensitive, sweet, funny and caring child. He/she is very smart. He used to play varsity tennis. She used to be on the pom squad.” We feel the need to convince you that the …
Read moreOff and Out
You can’t think of a way things will get better. Well, you can, but so far none of those 1,762 occurrences have panned out. He’ll meet some better friends at camp. We’ll switch schools and start over. That last punishment will jar him into a new resolve. His most recent tearful, remorseful silence means he’s done with all this. But then there’s the next thing, and the next thing and more things until the only thing that can possibly change anything is a sheer act of God. And God hasn’t acted. 
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