Category Archives: Uncategorized

Do any of you use yoga or other fitness routines to help eleviate your stress?  I have not yet stuck with anything, but I’m at least interested in yoga and a lady at my church is going to start a class there. 

Here’s a good article listing the benefits of yoga.  Take a look:

32 Unusual Benefits of Yoga. | elephant journal.

At the end of September, I posted a link to a survey to gauge your interest in attending a conference created specifically for parents of addicts.   I want to give you all a detailed report of the results as step one to revisiting this idea. 

First, a great big THANK YOU to the 17 people who took the time to respond to the survey.  I greatly appreciate you! 

Here are the results:

• Personal stats:  17 people answered the survey.  Most of us have 2 or 3 children.  Two people said they have one child, and one has 4 or more (bless you!).
• Our addicts:  94 percent of you have one child in your family who is an addict.  One person has two.  That’s probably me.
• Travel:  46% of you (7) are willing to travel in-state to attend a conference; 33% (5) said you’d attend a regional conference; one person said they are willing to travel anywhere in the U.S. for the event.
• Time and Money:  33% said you can arrange the time and the money to go.  Four people have time but need money (we can potentially help with this).  Four have money but need time (this is harder).
• TOPICS:  Here are your topical interests, starting with highest preference.  Keep in mind that this is a limited list of topics that I thought would be interesting.  At the end, I’ve listed two additional topics suggested by respondents.  I really like them – and if I was to redo this survey (which I might) I would add both for voting.

1. Social Networking with Other Parents
2. Rehab Options and Financial Assistance
3. Family Therapy; Science of Addiction; Info on Specific Drugs/Adddictions; Networking with Addiction professionals
4. Fun/Relaxing Activites
5. Warning Signs of Drug Use (I guess if we’re attending, we know these already!)

Additional Suggestions:

Warning Signs for Relapse
Sessions about/for Siblings of Addicts

I’ll be posting soon regarding NEXT STEPS.  Please watch for that post because I’d sure appreciate everyone’s input to questions I’ll be asking. 

Thanks for being here and, as always:  God Bless!

One of the best ways to get our focus off of problems and worries is to turn our attention the service of others.  Here’s a list of simple ways to brighten other lives and spread some light in the world:

Click here for acts of selfless service for 2011

via Click here for acts of selfless service for 2011.

Hi friends.  I really like this list of rights that I saw on acoarecovery.worpress.com.  It was written for Adult Children of Alcoholics – but I surely believe it pertains to us parents of addicts, and anyone else who has an addict in their life.  I’m having trouble posting the actual list here, but here’s the link to the full blog posting:  MY RIGHTS – Questionnaire (25-48).  So check it out.  Good site!

It’s 4:30 AM.  This is the time when even bars are closed.  After hours.  But here I am.  I fell asleep easily last night at 10:30 PM.  I’ve been doing well with sleep — going to bed earlier, getting off the computer, deep breathing, staying away from the end-of-the-night glass of wine.  So I was pleased last night, dozing off without a hitch.

And then I woke up.  Bright-eyed.  I expected it to be early morning … maybe 4:30 or 5:00.  But it was only two; I’ve been up since then.

My first response was frustration.  Then worry – not about anything particulary – just that low-lying fog of worry familiar to parents of addicts, but of which I hope never to grow fond.  I played computer games.  Attempted to pray.  Tried meditation.   Watched the clock.

Finally, I decided to just be awake.  For tonight, three hours sleep might just have to be enough.  So here I am.  Instead of fretting the long dark night away, I might as well do something useful and visit my friends in the land of the blogs.  I know I’m not the only one up in the middle of the night.  And maybe someone needs a hug.

So here’s to you all – a big hug:  {{{{{{{Fellow Travellers}}}}}}}}.  God is with us and will carry us through.  And on the off chance I fall asleep 20 minutes before my alarm rings, I’ll try to stay grateful for a little gift called the afternoon nap.  Sweet dreams, my friends.  Sweet dreams.

Check out this review of a movie that we all might want to see:  Recovering Love.

LET IT RAIN!

Years ago, when I first surrendered my life to Jesus Christ, God gave me a wonderful gift of writing songs.  I had pretty much forgotten about most of them – many were simple and I didn’t do anything with them at the time. 

Today I came across a notebook with some of those songs scratched haphazardly on music notation paper.  The one that struck me most was called, “Let It Rain.”   Here is the chorus:

Oh Lord, let the rain fall down
Let it feed the ground ’til the flowers grow!
Oh my Lord –
I will cry my tears,
but I will not fear the pain:
Let it rain!

I am trying to maintain this same attitude now…trying to remember that nothing much grows without rain.  Remaining grateful, even in times of drawn-out difficulty, has to be a purposeful choice.  I’m doing my best to make that choice daily.  I hope that you are too.  God Bless!

I had a pretty bad day today.  It’s been three months since the move and I still don’t have work.  I’m almost out of money.  I keep praying and walking on faith but things aren’t coming together yet.  Not sure what to do.  I can make it about three more weeks and then, well, I don’t know.  I hate to move again, but might have to.  So I was in a funk today, unable to focus or accomplish anything.  I cried a lot.  I took a walk.  Somewhere along the way I remembered this song.  It helped me feel a little better and remember that nice word: “hope.”  Enjoy.

Friends, I have been toying with the idea of creating a conference for parents of addicts.  To that end, I am starting with a survey (see link below).  This is simple, and anonymous.  I would greatly appreciate it if you would do two things: (1) follow the link and complete the survey; and (2) copy and paste the link onto your blog so that we can get as much feedback as possible.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/XGQNQ9V

Thank you all, as always, for being online as resources and support for me and for each other.  God bless!