PAL Blog
A Parent’s Story
Articles by Parents Like You
Not our family
My husband and I have a son and a daughter. Their childhood was wonderful for all of us, as we spent weekends in the summers at the lakes and winters at the sand dunes. Our children were the ones whose others’ parents always said, “Man,...
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....
The View from Recovery
Articles by People in Recovery
Vignettes – Part 3
2013 Bruised, broken, emaciated, exhausted, and sick. I’m using meth and heroin in a hotel room in Glendale. I’ve been up for three days; when I look at the carpeted floors, they vividly appear to be alive with crawling bugs. I close my eyes and try to...
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...
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...
