I talked with a friend, whose son is suffering from substance abuse, and I was moved by her words to her son. “I believe in you,” she told him, “Sure I’m afraid of what the future holds for you and our family, but I don’t want to breathe my fear into you. I want to give you hope.”
My reflection: There is a song lyric that I memorized years ago, “Fear can be catching worse than a cold.” Research indicates that emotions are ‘contagious,’ and that negative emotions transfer most easily. When my son was in active addiction, I’m sure he saw tension in my eyes and heard anxiety in my voice, more often than he saw or heard peace or compassion.
Today’s Promise: It’s difficult for our suffering loved ones to carry our anxieties, as well as their own. When they are in the throes of their addiction, they are struggling with obsession, shame, and the chase of the drug. When they are in early recovery, they face countless fears daily – how to get a job, how to pay rent, and how to go the next day without drugs. Today, I’ll try to bolster my serenity and breathe hope into my loved one.
This is beautiful to read, Libby, it makes the heart open ~
Thank you, Pamela, for your support and compassion. I love what you wrote – “it makes the heart open.” Beautiful. xoxo
Your words are uplifting and very thought provoking for me. I wish I had read your book and your words years ago when my eldest son was in the throws of drug addiction. He is 30 years old now and has made a go at life without drugs, with his partner and 6month old son for the last 2 years. He started with drugs at the age of 13 and couldn’t stop them until he was about 28. I really wish I had these wise words going through these very difficult challenging times, for him and me!
Dear Angela, I understand. It took me 14 years to learn lessons about addiction. Just as your son, my son started drugs when he was 13, and he stopped when he was 28. God bless your son, who is now 30, and is making his way in life without drugs. It takes courage to go even one day without drugs. I join you in prayer and hope. xo
Libby, although my brother passed from an accidental drug overdose nearly two years ago, I still find your weekly meditations very educational and uplifting. Needless to say, when I read todays, it made me wish I had this level of understanding and compassion two years ago that I have today….and then I remind myself that we really do the best we can with the tools we have at the time. Thank you for your ongoing commitment to educating us on this disease state.
Dearest Danuta, Thank you for writing. You’re right — we all do our best, and that’s all we can do. You did your best. I, too, did mine, even through all the mistakes that I made. Love never ends.
My love to you.