Photo Credit: Audrey Melton
AN OPEN LETTER TO MY SON JEFF
Today, on July 21, you celebrate ten years of sobriety. This is a huge feat, especially after having suffered a fourteen-year addiction. What would have happened if we had lost you? You faced the demons and came home to yourself and to us. Some research says that only 4% of heroin addicts live and stay well. This is a day to honor.
How far you have come in these past ten years. You pray and meditate, and you radiate serenity and peace. You’ve started a successful music label, and you are a businessman of integrity and strength. Spirituality is at the center of your life, and you inspire me with your hard-fought wisdom and good sense. You have suffered and you have risen.
It took courage, dedication and hard work to reach this day. I call this out because it’s important to do so. A person in active addiction once told me, “If Jeff can do it, so can I.” You give others hope. You give back. You work hard to make the world a better place.
Dad, Jeremy, Iysa and I join your many friends and relatives, who love you and wish you well. We’re proud of you, my son. Here’s to another ten years, one day at a time.
Love you, always and forever. I’ll stay close,
Mom
Wow! Congratulations. So happy for you and all your family. Appreciate your sharing your story with all of us….it gives me hope
Wow and Congratulations! So happy for you and your family. Thank you for sharing your story with us …gives me hope and love your Thursday meditation and book
Congratulations – a wonderful tribute and story to hear. Could you post the citation for the long term survival rate of heroin addicts? I’d like to read the article. Thank you.
Congratulations to you, Jeff and your family on his sobriety. You all have so much to be proud of today. Thank you for sharing your story. Stay Close touched my heart. You and Jeff give so many people hope for this horrible disease. Days can feel dark and life can feel so empty. Stay close is a promise that I made to my son too. I will never give up on him. My son is back in rehab and for the first time, I feel somewhat encouraged. (Cautiously though.) I pray that God will guide my son. I take lessons from you and others to not get in the way of his recovery even though it feels wrong. I look forward to each Thursday to read your weekly meditations. I admire you and Jeff and am so truly happy for your family. God Bless you.
I am so happy for Jeff and your family that Jeff has reached this point. Thank you for sharing this and all your posts. It gives us hope.
Congratulations and thank you!!
What great news!! That’s amazing! Am so happy for all of you. It is quite a journey fighting this every day. My son has only been clean for 7 months, but we’re working on it… One day at a time! I love your messages! It’s so encouraging for us and helps the fear we face each day of relapse. God bless you and all of us in this battle we endure every day!
Jeff gives hope to other addicts as well as those that love them. I saw alcohol damage many lives in my extended family. Addiction of any kind has many victims beyond just the addict. I’m grateful for Jeff and others like him that had the outer support and found the inner strength to recover.
Congratulations!!! Hope lives on in people that celebrate many years in recovery!!
Congratulations, Jeff! You and your family have been an inspiration and a source of hope, strength, and comfort (to me and my family) for years. I am so very grateful for this gift.
With love, Nanci
Feeling very proud of you all also – God Bless & always stay close
Congratulations to Jeff and congratulations to you, Libby and everyone in your family. It’s one day at a time and every day is work, but perhaps today is a day to breathe just a little bit more easily and enjoy it. Take care.
We are blessed with our sons. Love you to you and jeff and your whole family.
Libby, I know, exactly, your gratitude and joy, both for family and your son. My son, too, followed that path to destruction but, through his long struggle, came out of it. He will be celebrating 12 years of recovery his next anniversary. He, too, has become a calm, peaceful, serene, clear headed, kind young man, successful in life and business. I write this to encourage those who are still struggling as addicts and families to have hope. Always be kind to each other and have hope.
Congratulations to your son and your family!
Thank you Libby for your weekly blogs, and to you Jeff for giving us all hope. My son has celebrated 6 months of sobriety on the 21st, this is the first 6 months in years of total sobriety. I am hopeful for 10 yrs, but have learned one day at a time, and to stay close. Continue your success in all aspects Jeff and Libby, I look forward to your continued blog.
Congratulations Jeff, good luck on your journey to come. I’m with drugfreelifestyle.org which is a new site to help others find the addiction help they need.
Congratulations!!! Happy to hear you are doing so well!