My afternoon in Kelowna was great as I spent time with an alumni and his girlfriend. We shared Starbucks coffee and candid conversations about the hard work it is for a spouse to forgive and move on once there has been deception. It was empowering, raw and real.
There are lessons in these moments. Moments that can define our relationships. He has been clean for 7 months and their relationship has never been so good. It’s a beautiful part of my job seeing people transform. Seeing their relationships transform and their lives continuing to transform. It takes fortitude to continue to pursue life and is what makes recovery so redeeming – it’s so full of strength and resolves, and gratitude to get that chance to be the best version of ourselves.
I am often in awe of it all. The continued reminders of the perseverance it takes to move ahead in recovery, the undoubted strength it takes for many of our guys to continue to pursue their dreams after this chapter, and the ongoing commitment to be the author of their lives and the keepers of their destiny.
Hope is a must here. We must nurture hope like it’s a special flower in a special garden. To keep hope alive is what motivates people to continue to pursue their happiness, that life without substances, the life that is just around the corner for many. I hope that every man that walks through our doors continues to hope and dream – no matter what. They are all deserving of life, love, and a better future. They are the gardeners.
