Substance abuse in it’s various incarnations have affected just about every person I know.

I am no exception…

Those closest to me know that a slice of my soul was lost in 2003. Some say I haven’t been the same since my brother passed in July of that year. It’s been a long road….and through it all I have learned a ton about myself and what is really important in life. To be candid, if I didn’t build a foundation in recovery years prior, my brother’s passing could have sent me spiraling and I too could be lying at Cedar Grove.

In life, most of our blessings are often taken for granted or seldom acknowledged until we hit rough patches. Well, in the early 90’s I hit a rough patch and a blessing soon followed that changed my life forever….that blessing is something I will never forget.

It was born within small segment of my friends that seemed a bit different than what I was used to. They just seemed happier than the rest of my friends. I’m talking more compassionate, great listeners and genuinely good at their core. They were very secure and didn’t feel the need to put up a tough exterior which really stood out. The common denominator here was recovery….they were all in recovery.

I was skeptical, primarily because I had no problems with abuse myself. But, I soon learned that recovery has just as many incarnations as substance abuse does.  When I was finally ready, I reached out and was welcomed with open arms. The support I received was extremely honest and sometimes even tough. And, you know something? It was exactly what I needed…because my transformation that followed was immediate and profound. While I am far from perfect to this day, I started seeing the world for it’s possibilities. For the first time in ages I saw potential within myself…..and you can’t put a pricetag on that.

These people were so instrumental in my life that I consider them extended family to this day. Recently, three of those family members counted all the blessings in their lives and decided they wanted to give something back.

Erin Murphy, Kristen Walsh and Jill Byrne want to make sure there’s an opportunity for folks who may be struggling to see their full potential.  They are all members of the Dorchester Running Club will be running in this year’s Boston Marathon to support the Gavin and Answer houses of South Boston.

In my opinion, there is no better way to make an impact on substance abuse than a progressive approach. Building prisons as means for treatment is no substitute for proactively helping people rebuild their own lives within the recovery community. Gavin and Answer houses have been helping people rebuild for years and have been on the forefront of that progressive approach.

I’m asking all of my readers to consider helping this cause…

Please visit their “Help Hope Recovery” Crowdrise fundraising page below and help any way you can!

Thanks folks!