Night Time Rituals
Everyone seems to have before bed rituals. For most they are personal. Seems for most people they do not change no matter where you are; on vacation, at home, traveling on business, whatever or...
View ArticleIt Hurts So Bad.....Why Can't It Stop
It's been a while since I've dealt with the daily drama and heartache of a child actively using. Not a day goes by since in the last seven years I haven't thought about the pain and felt grateful I was...
View Article"I Love You" 3 Special Words
As we grieve as a nation for those caught in the Las Vegas massacre there is something we all can do for each other. Tragedies happen every day. Small personal tragedies that don't get the coverage of...
View ArticleOutrage
Last night as our family watched our Kansas City Chiefs get beaten by our nemesis Pittsburgh Steelers we sat in shock after the final whistle. As the game faded and the miserable game summary concluded...
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175 Lost Souls Per Day
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has now put a number on how many people died from a drug overdose in 2016. The total number is over 64,000 last year. Do the math, that's over 175 per day,...
View ArticleTalk To Your Teenager
About 3 weeks ago Friday I spoke to students at a local high school, Blue Valley Southwest. I was ask by a teacher to speak at his new school. For several years I had spoke to his students at another...
View ArticleYou Did, You Did, You Did
How do we help our loved one that is addicted? I struggled mightily with that question for years while I lived a life of a son actively addicted. I was never able to to understand; because my answer...
View ArticleYou Can't Do This Alone
A part of my recovery process as a parent of an addict is speaking to young people about addiction and what happens to a family. Last night I spoke again to young people for the Johnson County...
View ArticleMy Speaking
I write a lot about my speaking to students, young people at detention centers and to adults when I am invited. A couple of weeks ago a teacher utilized the video production class equipment at his high...
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Believing In Someone
A few months ago The Partnership for Drug-Free Kids ask me to write an essay for them to update their readers on our family progress. It's been several years since I have written for The Partnership so...
View ArticleRelapse and Overdose
In the news is a story about Demi Lovato, actress, singer and celebrity. She makes the news because she relapsed and overdosed. The story goes on to detail that her life was saved when she was brought...
View ArticleBeautiful Boy Movie
Today I gathered up enough guts to see the movie Beautiful Boy. My history with this story goes back many, many years. I can still remember clear as day, we were at a Starbucks with friends for coffee...
View ArticleGood From Bad
Sometimes I want to step away from all of this addiction stuff. My son has been clear and sober since July 2010 so what can't I just give it up and move on? How do you move on from the most traumatic...
View ArticleLet It Ride
It has been many months since I wrote a post for this blog. Looking at the last post was I wrote was November 23, 2018. Often I wondered if anyone even reads blogs anymore? Sometimes I even thought...
View ArticleTragic In So Many Ways
This morning on my Facebook feed a news story popped up about a robbery and outcome in Camdenton MO. This is the area where we own a lake home so I try to stay connected to the local news and events...
View ArticleForgiveness
I haven't been writing lately. There hasn't been much going on in our life other than the things I have detailed in previous essays. I didn't want to waste time for all that read this blog.As a member...
View ArticleMy Letter To Santa
Dear Santa,It's been a hard year for the kids this year, no matter if they are on the naughty or nice list. Please be easy on the judgements and do whatever you can for the little ones. They have gone...
View ArticleIs This Blog Still Relevant?
While scanning the internet to see if after over a decade my blog remains relevant I found where a student athlete in central Florida used info in my blog to write an article for the Highland News-Sun....
View ArticleA Disease
Here are a few short musings about our experience and learnings. No matter where you are in parenting or loving someone addicted to drugs these might be something to consider when you are alone.When...
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Article 5
A fellow blogger from the UK contacted me today. She lost her brother to addiction. She wrote a moving post that I want to Guest Post here so here goes. Here's a link to her blog:...
View ArticleAs Time Goes On
It's been over 13 years since I created this blog as an effort to learn more about addiction and find peace for myself during our son's addiction.So much time has passed and things have changed so...
View Article>1,000,000
It is with mixed emotions I write about this milestone.After I received another email from a parent lost and searching for answer about her daughter's addiction I looked at this blog. A couple years...
View ArticleThe Holiday Season
During the holiday season, as families gather we all have the best intentions. I am thankful for the family and fellowship shared on these days.However, as we gather remember there may be those that...
View ArticleOXY, the Right Way, (but I still hate it)
Three weeks ago I had a total knee replacement in my right knee. I am not new to joint replacements, already had my left knee replaced and my right shoulder replaced. Make no mistake if you haven't...
View ArticleIt Is Thanksgiving Week
9 years ago on Thanksgiving morning I wrote a post about what does the parent of addict have to be thankful about? It is the week of Thanksgiving 2023 and I think it is time to re-publish that post...
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