Author: Karen
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Strengthened Through the Weaknesses of Others
It is through the weaknesses of others that we can be strengthened. And this is most apparent when you place broken people together for healing. Each person seeks the weaknesses of others to use against them for their benefit. When in the end it is their weakness that needs strengthened, because it is their insecurities…
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Core Values: Playing With A Full Deck
To succeed in life, not only is it important to identify our core values, but our actions must align with them. The problem arises when we do not properly identify the values needed to succeed so our actions play off of a faulty set of values. I can’t put my finger on it. I look…
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Living In Fear As Life Passes By
Looking straight ahead, I watch as my youngest daughter soars into the sky. Relinquishing control, I have no choice but to watch her as she descends into the great unknown. As the years progressed and my daughters turned into young women I started to fear for their future. That fear turned into something much worse,…
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Embracing Imperfections of the Family
One of the many struggles of raising children is watching as other families thrive. Each family is well aware of the dysfunction in their own household but unable to see through the lens of perfection into the lives of others. What we view as a thriving family might just be a family slowly cracking under…
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Service For Recovery: Why it’s important?
I think I found my purpose. This is typically not how I roll, but I’m writing off the cuff, here goes… Service in recovery is one of the keys to staying sober. I sit and look around. “What on earth do these grandma’s have to offer a young woman going through one of the most…
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Underage Drinking Discipline Is Key
Starting in our childhood and into our teenage years we are exposed to behaviors, good and bad. Alcohol dependence is contributed by a sequence of learned behavior along with having maladaptive coping skills. A positive learned behavior which would help counter underage drinking is discipline. Discipline Throughout the Years Softly playing in the background, Good…
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Breaking the Cycle, Like Mother, Like Daughter
We raise our children, soaking in their achievements, choosing to honor our successful parenting with a celebratory cocktail. The alcohol freely flows and our children bear witness to alcohol abuse at a young age. As our children grow, our prideful behavior continues until breaking the cycle we can finally build healthy lasting relationships. Breaking the…
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Making amends to my three-year-old self.
At the age of fifty-three I finally grew up and I learned that making amends will set me free. Just look at yourself. We’ve been through so much together. I wish I didn’t let you down. Do you know it was my job to protect you? Just look at those eyes. They’re so impressionable.…
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The imposter in the step programs for recovery.
She sits in the room, and is surrounded by the women who are struggling with their addictions. At ease, she fits right in. After all she knows just what to say, as if she herself believes she belongs. When really she feels like a fraud, the imposter in the recovery step programs. She is the…