5 Names

“Five names on you at all times.” Advice given to me six years ago as I sat in a room full of recovering drug addicts, broken and beat up by life, wondering how I was ever going to make my way back home.

I will never forget how hard it was for me to hold back all the tears when I was advised to keep a list of five people in my wallet that I could call on at any moment of the day if I found myself in trouble. The truth was I could not even count on two let alone five. I had pushed everyone who loved me away. I had put up walls that I would not let others over and shut doors that I would not let anyone open.

Today, six years later, celebrating a benchmark of my recovery process, I was brought to the same place of tears but for a very different reason. The tears today were of joy, peace and thankfulness.

We had a BBQ in the park to bring together our friends and family, to celebrate the relationships that have grown through this process and to bring together those who are most important in our lives.

We wanted to say thank you to those who have chosen to stay in the relationships with us even when they were hard and thank you to those who have just joined us on this continued journey we call life.

We could not ask for a better circle of friends and family. The blessings that come out of our struggles have been that of deeper relationships and experiences that are more meaningful.

I have learned not to take anyone for granted and to make the most of every moment count. I have learned to say what I mean and mean what I say and to love those closest to me as if the were the only ones with me.

How have I learned to do this? Well, there is a saying, “more is caught then taught.” I have watched those closest to me set the highest example of being open and authentic, choosing to be brave rather then safe, thank you, you know who you are.

Thank you all who came out today to support us, you are the reason why we can fly!