Giving Back

My life's journey thus far has been very long and hard. Not because it had to be, but rather because I made it so. I allowed my addiction to dictate my path and really never searched for another path until such time that I was nearly beyond help. But there lies the beauty in it all. No one is ever beyond help. There is always a flicker of hope. I look back now and realize that everything happens for a reason and there was in fact a purpose for all of this.

The stones of my experiences have made me the person that I am today. I have seen and been through a lot. I have seen things most people cannot comprehend. I have been in situations that only another addict or a soldier in war would understand. It is these rocks at the bottom that I have built a firm foundation of understanding and compassion that will allow me to empathize with a heavy heart and offer support where many cannot.

I am blessed to be given this opportunity to fully understand what it means to be an addict. Unfortunately too many people have this knowledge however most do not recover. I am grateful that I was spared, so that I can pass on my knowledge and encouragement. I can pass on this knowledge to the still suffering addict and offer them an example of hope. I can pass this knowledge on as well to those that do not understand addiction but have it affecting their lives. I can also pass this knowledge on to those that are empowered to fix a social system that is in dire need of a retrofit. To the addict as well I may simply be a listening ear for them. An ear that is understanding and non-judgmental. One that can offer encouragement without advice. Perhaps I will be the only ear that hears their cries for help.

My life and experiences have given me purpose. My purpose is to love those people that society chooses to ignore, despise or simply lock up. I will be their voice. My purpose is to have empathy for those people that can no longer have compassion for themselves. I will be there to remind them that they are loved. Their lives do matter. And to hopefully demonstrate through my new life that we all can recover.