For 42 years, the only choice I had was to get high when life got hard. In a twist of fate, I ended up in the parking lot of TEEM, where I had a chance encounter with Sandra, one of the PRSS (Peer Recovery Support Specialist) staff members. In a rare moment of honesty, I admitted my desire to get high. Sandra, however, offered me something different—she introduced me to the power of gratitude and affirmations.

I had so many felonies on my record that I knew getting a place to rent to me or to hire me for that matter was going to be difficult. How could others believe in me when I didn’t even believe in myself? One of my biggest takeaways from the Empower Program was how the staff made me feel. In just two weeks, my perspective on my situation had turned from despair to hope.

I didn’t even realize I was pushing my daughters away. I didn’t think about the fact that they were going through some of the same grief I was going through. When I was struggling with the worst of it, I never really opened myself up to my true purpose, which is being a mom to my daughters. I always parented, but almost like I was parenting because I had to. Now I parent because I want to.

I knew if I could just get this off me – these charges, this addiction, this mindset – I could do well. But I needed something to make me stop. I was on the road to destruction. When my brother died of an overdose, I spiraled. I ended up in prison. After he died, I started seeing feathers in different places. It was a sign. That was my motivation. I lost my brother; I didn’t want to lose myself, too.

I used to think that my using drugs didn’t have anything to do with anyone else. Why would they care what I was doing? It was just myself I was hurting. I finally saw what it was doing to my grandparents – that all they wanted for me was to do right and live a good life. I was hurting them and I wanted to stop hurting them. They’re finally proud of me. I know they’ve always loved me, but now they’re proud.

I realized that I needed help. I’ve had a lot of ups and downs and things I still need to work on, but I can get there now. I’m finishing up my college education, and I know what my priorities are. I’m happy I went through this so that I could get the help I needed.

When you have this vision, you can feel that tingling all the way down to your bone marrow. That’s how I know this is what I’m supposed to be doing.

I never dreamed community service hours could be so rewarding. We go out on Sunday mornings with a big truck and a parade of motorcycles. We go to veterans’ houses and put big flag poles in their yards. The veteran hoists the flag. It’s a moving experience.

I didn’t get out of the parking lot after being bonded out of jail before I was doing drugs again. I was living in an abandoned house and didn’t have anywhere to go. That was two days before Christmas. By January 3, we decided we couldn’t live like that anymore.

I’m the guy who’s always smiling. I have that drive to do things. If I’m going to do something, it’s either full forward or not at all.

I just celebrated five years of sobriety. My son, at 11 years old, bought me a cake to celebrate. I work. I just bought a house. I appreciate all the tools I’ve been given. When you’re surrounded by people who believe in you, you can have this kind of positive success story.

When I walked out of prison, it didn’t feel like I was discharging from 15 years. I was discharging my entire past – my criminal activity, my addictions, my incarcerations, and my trauma. I have a new start.

Addiction doesn’t care if you have resources. As a matter of fact, resources can make it easier to mess up. I had a lot of resources to exhaust before I could really hit bottom. When I finally hit bottom, I realized that a closed mind can’t be fed anything.

I’m proud to be here today. I’m 57 days sober, and I couldn’t ask for any better.

I’m a proud single dad of a third-grade volleyball player, dancer, and straight-A student. If you ask me about my hobbies, I’ll answer that she’s my hobby. I like to take her to her games and practices, and I love to watch her grow and get smarter every day.

My earliest memories in life were going to visit my father in prison. Once he was released, my dad would say that it was better for us to do drugs together than for his children to do them on the streets.

Do you take running water for granted? Based on my life’s journey, I most certainly do not. I wasn’t always chairing meetings at the Kelley Club or guest speaking to alcoholics anonymous.

I didn’t always believe that I was a good person. But I most certainly do now. Change isn’t always easy and changing from a life of addiction is something that could take many lifetimes.

A mother’s love knows no bounds. My three children are my world and nothing can ever take that from me. Life isn’t always easy and mine has been no exception.