In January 2014, my son, David, 39, passed away following a 15-year addiction to heroin. We started out as an average suburban family: Father, mother, David, and Bill, an older brother. David’s father was a police officer, and I worked part-time as a secretary at the boys’ elementary school. Our lives centered on our community| The Phoenix Spirit
If you knew nothing else about her, you knew she was an addict. A self-proclaimed train wreck whose talent was too often overshadowed by a tabloid-fueled persona that turned her public life into a frustrating spectacle. Amy Winehouse's addiction had become a pop culture punch line. According to media accounts, I was in good company| The Phoenix Spirit
“Hope begins in the dark.” Anne Lamott Throughout my life, that little thing called hope has refused to go away. Even in some of my darkest moments, hope sat there, like a little flame in the darkness, quietly glowing and waiting for me to notice it again. Through blinding tears, I’ve seen it shimmer and| The Phoenix Spirit
Let me introduce you to the Grande Dame of recovery in the upper Midwest. She is a beautiful, historic wood mansion built in 1887, bright cheery yellow trim on brown. She is beautiful not only for the structure but for what she holds. She IS 2218! She IS the world’s longest continuously running Alano and| The Phoenix Spirit
There are many aspects that can be helpful in moving us from addictive thinking and behavior to recovery. In this article, I would like to focus on two aspects that have become important in my recovery journey as well as in those of a number of people I know. They are: making choices and being| The Phoenix Spirit
In seeking to address the topic of hope today, I feel especially challenged as there seems to be so much frustration, hopelessness and powerlessness swirling around these days. These feelings are related to the continuing effects of Covid and now the flu; the rising costs of everyday items such as food and gasoline along with| The Phoenix Spirit
As I prepared for my first Spring get-away since becoming a recovering alcoholic, I accepted that I can’t do the things I did before or stay in the type of places that appealed to me when I was drinking. Regardless of where I was going I had to build my sobriety into my travel plans;| The Phoenix Spirit