It’s another Midwestern winter day.  Snow.  Poor visibility.  Dangerous driving conditions.  I was gearing up for the 45-minute drive to pick up my son when the phone rang this morning.  It was the halfway house.

They were calling to apologize for a big goof up on their part.  The bed they thought was available for our son today is not available, and the treatment center already gave away his bed to a new client.  He’s without a bed tonight.

For myriad reasons, coming to our house is not a smart option.  Neither is a night in a shelter.  This is the proverbial pickle.  We are waiting for the treatment center and halfway house to find a solution. Understandably, our son is feeling and expressing feelings of frustration, fear, concern, anger, bitterness, resentment.  This is a real test for him.

Meanwhile, I’ve gone back about my day.  I’m at the office.  As the parent of a Young Addict, I am accustomed to these glitches.  If it’s not one thing, it’s another.  That’s addiction.  In the early days, this might have sent me off the deep end; instead, I am calm and confident.  I am letting go while being available to do my part.  I am trusting that the right thing will happen and from this experience, we will be gifted another blessing of strength and resiliency.

As I briefly review this post prior to publishing, I realize it is full of cliches.  I dislike cliches, but often these are the only thing that seem to accurately express addiction.  Oh well, I will let go of wrinkling my nose at cliches!

Wishing all of you the best today.  And if not the best of days, the best of dealing with the day.

Hugs,

Midwestern Mama