When I look back over my life, I can recognize more than a few individuals who have made a difference in my life, and most of them probably don't even know it. Recovery invites us to take an inventory of our past, and as part of that work, I've spent some time thinking about those who acknowledged or supported me in some way, even if it was a small way.
People like my sixth-grade teacher Mr. Walsh, who taught me all the required subjects and also convinced me that I was intelligent.
I remember the first therapist I worked with who made me look at my own substance use after months of my talking only about my then-husband's addiction problem. That was a turning point in my life, to be sure.
When I returned to university as a mature student, a professor listened to me as I poured my heart out about all the self-doubt I had about whether I could complete my degree because I had been so messed up for so long. She told me I could, and I did complete that degree—and two graduate degrees after it.
I'm grateful for each of those difference makers. Who are yours?