What does recovery mean to me?
Recovery means keeping my promises. It means believing that I am a man of promise. It means learning to live a life full of promise. A little over 11 years ago, fresh out of rehab to address my substance abuse issues, I was walking King, my oldest son, to his wrestling practice, with my oldest daughter – ‘Bug, short for Lady Bug – who was 5 years old at the time. Holding my hand with a serious “kung-fu grip,” Bug looked up at me with these big, most beautiful brown eyes, and she challenged me by saying, asking, “Daddy never let me go!?!?” By the grace of my Higher Power, with a lot of prayer and tears, with the help and support of family and friends, and by putting in the hard work, I have been able to keep my promise. Not only have I kept my promise, but I have also learned how to get a better grip and improve upon, as well as consistently continue to double down on, my efforts to keep my word. Today, I am a present husband, father, son, brother, friend, and living, breathing human being. I have been able to go back and get my bachelor’s and master’s degrees, something I swore I would do while I was still in active addiction. I [...]