Ironically, this movie came out at the exact same time as my own family fell apart. I remember watching that scene and praying for God to send his angels to rescue my family. Just like he did for the boy.
I've shared with you a small glimpse of the effects of addiction on my family. I'm not sure I can even put into words the harsh reality of it all.
After watching my dad battle alcoholism and addiction, my brothers soon followed. If my math is correct, my oldest brother has been dealing with addiction for the last 23 years, and my younger 20 or so. My oldest brother has been in prison the majority of that time. They've never owned a home, had a valid driver's license for very long, been able to parent, or held down a job that they weren't being paid under the table. They've broken laws, hurt their families, and destroyed their own bodies beyond recovery. They've been beaten and left in a field to die, had their hearts shocked back to life, and given Narcan to be revived.
I've spent most of my life tracking them down. Where are they living? Who are they with? What jail are they in? What hospital were they taken to? Where are my nieces in nephews?
I've lived with PTSD from the thousands....and I mean thousands...of middle of the night phone calls. I've watched them die, and be brought back to life. I've witnessed their tears as they watched their children be taken from them. I've given them food and shelter as much as I could. I've read terrible things about them on social media....
I've spent my entire life trying to save them.
This last week has been a hard one. Once again my brother got out of prison, has his mind focused on being clean, and it took him a few days maybe hours to succumb to his demons. After not being able to locate him, and not seeing any social media activity, I started once again trying to find him in the county jails and hospitals. I finally found him and discovered he had overdosed again, for the second since the beginning of the year!!
When will it end? Why do two people I love the most in this world have to fight to survive every moment? Will their children ever get to see them as the men they want so badly to be? Will I ever look in their eyes and see the little boys again, who once had big dreams? What more can addiction take from us?
Will we ever be a family again?
Will the Angels ever win the pennant?
I've shared with you a small glimpse of the effects of addiction on my family. I'm not sure I can even put into words the harsh reality of it all.
After watching my dad battle alcoholism and addiction, my brothers soon followed. If my math is correct, my oldest brother has been dealing with addiction for the last 23 years, and my younger 20 or so. My oldest brother has been in prison the majority of that time. They've never owned a home, had a valid driver's license for very long, been able to parent, or held down a job that they weren't being paid under the table. They've broken laws, hurt their families, and destroyed their own bodies beyond recovery. They've been beaten and left in a field to die, had their hearts shocked back to life, and given Narcan to be revived.
I've spent most of my life tracking them down. Where are they living? Who are they with? What jail are they in? What hospital were they taken to? Where are my nieces in nephews?
I've lived with PTSD from the thousands....and I mean thousands...of middle of the night phone calls. I've watched them die, and be brought back to life. I've witnessed their tears as they watched their children be taken from them. I've given them food and shelter as much as I could. I've read terrible things about them on social media....
I've spent my entire life trying to save them.
This last week has been a hard one. Once again my brother got out of prison, has his mind focused on being clean, and it took him a few days maybe hours to succumb to his demons. After not being able to locate him, and not seeing any social media activity, I started once again trying to find him in the county jails and hospitals. I finally found him and discovered he had overdosed again, for the second since the beginning of the year!!
When will it end? Why do two people I love the most in this world have to fight to survive every moment? Will their children ever get to see them as the men they want so badly to be? Will I ever look in their eyes and see the little boys again, who once had big dreams? What more can addiction take from us?
Will we ever be a family again?
Will the Angels ever win the pennant?
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