Ripples

We were reminded this morning, through an Email, of the ripple effects caused by our addiction. Approximately 4 years ago a girl who had come through our program came to see us with her 10 month old son. She was doing great, staying clean and sober, going to meetings, had a sponsor, had a job, a place to live and was going to school. She was happy and had a beautiful smile on her face. That was the last time we saw her. She returned to her home state and proceeded to hook up with her old drug dealer/boyfriend. She overdosed and died in the hospital a few days after returning home.

Her mother sent us pictures of her son who is now 4. He doesn't know that his grandparents are not his mom and dad or that his mother died of an overdose. His grandparents will tell him when he is old enough to understand, although I am sure at some level he already understands but does not have the words to express his loss.

As addicts we never think about the consequences of our actions. We do not step back and look at how many ripples will spread out across the pond when we drop the stone of an overdose into the pond. The ripples go on forever and remind us all where we can be in a heart beat. I am grateful for the lesson being taught of where we can all be should we make the decision to take 'just' one.