If beauty could speak, what would she say?
Her words would effortlessly flow, like a silky ribbon unraveling her story.
Mesmerizing, each syllable would roll off her tongue, leaving us captivated by her journey.
Her truth would be revealed like a shiny gem, to be treasured.
Each word would radiate, offering a ray of hope.
She would share her story of recovery, revealing what true beauty is.
Each year the church I attend hosts a fundraiser, Hearts of Hope, for the women’s recovery house. I sit surrounded by a few hundred women, listening to my beautiful friend, Jen, share her story on stage. She recently graduated from the Women’s Care Center and has a captive audience as she shares the difficult road that led her to recovery. Her story strongly resonates with my own.
She isn’t the picture of what most people would consider an addict. Her language is clear, crisp, and articulate. But the truth behind her story echoes with what many women experience through out their adult lives. Women turning towards alcohol following an illness, like an old friend, comforting her through her illness and a broken marriage.
My friend experienced relapse during a time when her recovery was weak. It makes me question my own recovery. Is it possible for me to slip back into my old ways? Anything is possible. Recovery can be equated to life, not the addiction. As long as we live, we are susceptible to our old behaviors.
Recovery is multifaceted, much more than the drug that was once consumed to medicate the addict through life. It needs worked from many different angles to achieve success. The alcoholic behaviors, as much as the liquid form are just as damning. When we don’t work our program often it is the behaviors that are apparent.
There isn’t one way to do recovery, but tools are at our disposal to help navigate our journey. And as
comments in her recent post, I Relapsed, she had maladaptive coping skills that she relied on throughout her recovery which stemmed from her childhood. Her post should be read by everyone in recovery.As life happens, it is so important for those who seek to live a lifestyle of recovery to utilize all their tools. Working the steps of recovery, which are continuous, freeing us from our past and present day problems; doing acts of service; and spending time with others in recovery to maintain health.
There is nothing more beautiful than listening to the story of a woman in recovery.
Thank you Karen ❤️