PAL Blog
A Parent’s Story
Articles by Parents Like You
Understanding their perspective
We are a blended family – my children became the children of my spouse as I had both children and grandchildren prior to our marriage. My son was such a beautiful child. He was always happy and inquisitive. He was very interested in...
It’s a process
I am a PAL mom, I am a grateful believer in Jesus, I am a wife of an amazing man of God, and I am a mother of four children (my husband is the stepparent to my children). My second oldest, Christopher*, has always been extremely bright....
Finding the blessing
My family includes my husband and me (we have been happily married for over 35 years), our three adult children and several grandchildren. My addicted loved one was always the class clown. School was a breeze and all the...
The View from Recovery
Articles by People in Recovery
Vignettes – Part 2
Summer. 2011. It’s 110 degrees outside. The sun bakes the concrete courtyard where I sit, the radiation of unbearable warmth rising. I smoke cigarettes with my back leaned up against the wall as I sit on the ground in a spot of shade near the stairway. I don’t...
Being present in the moment
I’m present. I’m home sick and have been up all night with a 7-month-old baby but I’m present. Some vitamin B and coffee combined with the exhaustion are creating an odd hyper awareness in me but it’s ok and I’m here for it. I sit with my son out back on the...
There is a purpose in the pain
When I was 15 years old, I had grand aspirations for what my life would look like. I was obsessed with music and playing the guitar and my dream was to be a songwriter who wrote hits and toured the world. I loved reading and writing. I’d get lost in...
From Counselors
Articles by PAL and Partner Counselors
Mike Speakman, the co-author of my journey
2011 I’m sitting on the front patio of Calvary. It’s 7 a.m. My soon-to-be-ex-girlfriend dropped me off unceremoniously. There’s a bubbling fountain in the middle of the area; birds land on the top, shaking their feathers free from moisture as they...
The importance of readiness
“Most people will not participate in their own rescue, because it will require hard work” - Unknown I want to share a thought about a subject that is controversial. This is just my belief, so please take it as “theory.” It’s about a...
What does recovery look like?
Have you ever said, “I think he is sober,” or “he says he is sober.” I hear this often at PAL meetings. I also remember saying those words during the years both of my sons were active in their disease. As parents we desperately want to...
