After spending thousands of years being worn smooth by the gentle currents of the stream I am reborn as a unicorn in Vermont, and I believe my journey has just begun. I am no longer just another rock. I have purpose. I rest now in the small, gentle hands of Caroline who found me under… Continue reading The Unicorn Rock
Category: Addiction
The Dread–Part 2
A continuation of the prologue from my Work in Progress–Drawing Hope, a YA novel about surviving the drug abuse of friends and family. You know your parents have something to talk about when you’re not around because they keep hinting that you should start your schoolwork. So you go upstairs after dinner, but you and… Continue reading The Dread–Part 2
Drawing Hope (WIP)
My latest Work in Progress (WIP) after the publication of Internal Lockdown is a young adult novel focusing on a group of ninth graders who bond over the pain of dealing with a loved one’s substance abuse. The story is told through the eyes of Chris, who moves from North Carolina to PA with his… Continue reading Drawing Hope (WIP)
Continuing the Fight
Published in the Town and Country Newspaper on March 21. Project Live UP’s March meeting featured a speaker from the Upper Perkiomen High School’s Student Assistance Program (SAP) and a Project Live member and community resident who frankly discussed his problems with alcohol. Shane Thrush, a UPHS special education teacher, gave the audience a… Continue reading Continuing the Fight
A Narrative of Triumph and a Message of Hope
THIS IS ANOTHER NEWSPAPER ARTICLE I WROTE FOR THE TOWN AND COUNTRY. IT CHRONICLES THE REMARKABLE SURVIVAL STORY OF A CHILD OF PARENTS WHO MISUSED SUBSTANCES. Stacia Hang is a survivor, and she is on a mission to help children overcome the same type of helpless situations that could have doomed her as she grew… Continue reading A Narrative of Triumph and a Message of Hope
Recovery and Hope
This is a newspaper article I wrote for the Town and Country’s 8/23/18 edition. It is a remarkable story of bad luck, addiction, redemption. Almost two years after a tree came crashing down on his family at a campsite, detouring his life and leading to a battle with opioid addiction, Dr. Scott Keeney delivered a… Continue reading Recovery and Hope
Sk8ters
I certainly received an education yesterday. I learned a few things about the world of skaters and their views of how they are perceived. The local anti-drug task force I belong to held a day to clean up the local skate park which had fallen into disrepair. The idea was to build connections with a disaffected… Continue reading Sk8ters
Don’t Be An Ostrich
From experiences on the streets of the notorious Badlands of Kensington to the emergency room to rehabs to homeless shelters to prisons to her own house, Deb Delp has the credibility of a frontline soldier in the raging battle against drug abuse. The nurse, mother, teacher, coach, author, and anti-drug crusader had a warning… Continue reading Don’t Be An Ostrich
Control
Control was the topic of a meeting–as in support group meeting–that I recently attended. All who deal with a loved one’s addiction eventually realize that they have zero control over the addict. The problem is some won’t admit it. It is one thing to intellectually accept the thoughts of the Serenity Prayer. It is quite… Continue reading Control
Lost Pennies
About 100 people showed up for the Memorial to Overdose Victims on Friday night. While it was heartbreaking to see loved ones in mourning, it was inspiring to hear words of hope especially from those who had experienced loss firsthand. One of our sharers was a young lady who lost both parents within a few… Continue reading Lost Pennies
The Q-View 