I came to recovery a very broken woman: homeless and hopeless. I had squandered everything and hurt everyone who mattered to me, and my health was poor. I finally found a long-term program that met my needs and had an emphasis on giving back.

Today, I am the director of that program. My life has been restored and helping others in recovery is my purpose in life. I have my sons and four wonderful grandchildren. I own a home, and I have more work helping others than I can possibly imagine. This year, my youngest son is celebrating his second year of sobriety, and I am celebrating my 15th.

My motto has become "Trust God, Clean House, and Help Others." If you do those simple things and never stop working on yourself, life holds great promise. I never want to forget where I came from, as I do not want to return to that misery. Addiction is a disease that ravages entire families, and I must never forget that. Staying clean and sober is simple, but not easy.