Heavy heart tonight, Keep Going family. My friend just died. They found her in her apartment, surrounded by tequila bottles, dead on her couch. The last time anybody talked to her was Friday. Today is Thursday. Who knows how long she's been there by herself. I hate alcohol. I hate drugs. I hate what they do to people. I hate how desperate and sad people get, feeling like they have no relief anywhere else, so they turn to substances to make things better because that's all they feel like they can do. They feel like they have no hope, nowhere to turn, nowhere to go, no one to talk to. And it just sucks. I'm grateful - so fucking grateful - that I'm not stuck in that place anymore, because I was right there. That could've been me so many nights. That could've been me. It's terrifying because this happens every day. So many people. So many beautiful souls lost to this disease. But it also makes this work - what we're building here - so much more meaningful. There are so many people hurting, so many people who just need to know that if they keep going, they can get through it. If they would just keep going, they would discover they're stronger than they know. It sounds so simple, but it's so hard at the same time. Living life on life's terms is difficult. Recovery doesn't just happen - you have to really want it. You have to do things intentionally, really intentionally, to make healing happen. You have to believe that you're worth it. You have to believe that your life is worth it. I wish this girl knew she was worth it. I wish she knew how amazing life can be when you actually live it - when you shut out all the noise, all the bad, crappy noise, and just listen to the lovely, beautiful music that can flow through your life if you allow it. But you're the only one who can let it in. I wish she would've known she could let it in. I wish she could've put herself first. She's left behind a beautiful family, and now we just have to move on. We have to keep going because that's all that's left for us to do.

Hey Keep Going family, I've been absent this week and wanted to share why - because it perfectly illustrates what recovery community is all about. Last weekend, I received a call that many of us in recovery know all too well. Friends who had been struggling had slipped back into active addiction and needed to go to detox immediately. They asked if I could watch their six-year-old daughter while they got the help they needed. Despite just starting my full-time position as pool manager at the Erin Country Club this week (yes, that happened too!), I said yes without hesitation. Because that's what we do in recovery - we show up for each other, especially when addiction threatens to take everything. My week became a beautiful reminder of why we keep going. While it meant I couldn't be present here online, I was present where I needed to be: - Making arts and crafts projects - Singing songs and reading stories - Going for ice cream and bike rides - Playing basketball and riding scooters - Making homemade pizza and creating memories I'm thrilled to share that both parents have successfully completed detox. Their spirits are renewed, and they're ready to continue fighting this disease with fresh determination. Being able to provide that critical support – giving them space to heal while their daughter was safe and loved – that's what the Keep Going Movement is truly about. Sometimes keeping going means temporarily setting some things down to pick up what matters most in that moment. Exciting News Coming Soon! I've been working hard behind the scenes on our new community that will be launching very soon! I'll be sharing all the details in my next post, so stay tuned - it's going to be something special that I believe will change lives. Thank you all for your patience and understanding this week. This community means the world to me, and I'm grateful for each of you who continue to support the journey. Question for reflection: When was a time you had to drop everything to support someone else's recovery, or when someone did that for you? How did that experience impact your own recovery journey?

My name is Dennis. I am 64yo, married for 47years April 8th. At the moment I am being forced to, not drink alcohol, smoking tobacco and weed like a chimney since 1972. I had an heart attack on April 22nd, 2025. I had two arteries that were clogged really bad. Stents corrected the problem. The party is over for me. But this group has had me interested in joining for some weeks now. Anyway, I’m back in the saddle again…I really wish that I had slowed down much earlier and stayed with it. I assume that I am a member of this Group, I was invited some time ago. I wanna give it a go…thank you for accepting me. I wish you well…

Another day of sobriety. Although it's cloudy outside, my mind is clear