Hope

When you arise in the morning, give thanks for the morning light,

for your life and strength.  Give thanks for your food and the joy

of living.  If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies in yourself.

--Tecumseh--

Yesterday when I was running my Early Recovery group one of the clients began speaking of his life.  A new client in his 50's, and in very early recovery, he was obviously missing his drug when he spoke about how lost he feels right now.  He then spoke about  how hopeless he was feeling because he had thrown so many years of his life away.  And then the other members of the group chided in and spoke to him about being grateful for waking up in the morning and how it is never too late to start over.  And several members of the group began to tell their stories and spoke of their hopes and dreams for the future, and he listened.  We spoke about having hope and never giving up and it was sinking in.  And when I finally saw a smile come to his face, I knew.  He was willing to go for that second chances.

And after the group was over, I thought about my own life and how many times I could have given up, but rested on hope to carry me through...and it never let me down.  Without hope, there can be no success.  I keep that up front in my own life, and although tough times may get me down for awhile, hope always helps me to rise again.  This is something I always work to instill in my clients ....we must never give up.

It's going to be hot here today...pretty darned hot.  They are predicting 100 degrees, a record breaker for June.  Kind of scares me about what we might be in for this year.  Stay cool, drink plenty of fluids, and take care of yourselves.  

You've gotta have hope.
Without hope life is meaningless.
Without hope life is meaning less and less.
~Author Unknown