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I arrived at Leeway on July 29, 2004. The date is branded into my brain because it was the first day after coming off an alcohol and drug binge that had been going on for the past two years.
Just before I arrived, the binge landed me in the hospital with two bouts of pneumonia within three weeks. I weighed 105 lbs., my normal weight is 165; I had all the other symptoms of out of control AIDS.
I was sick, afraid and lost.
When I came to Leeway, I thought it was a place you went to die. But the opposite happened for me. For the first time in years, I began to live. Not just breathe.
I’m not sure exactly how or when it started. But for some reason, I got a song in my head and couldn’t get it out. It’s that old song “Amazing Grace”, How sweet the sound – That saved a wretch like me! I once was lost but now I’m found- Was blind, but now I see
That reminder, along with Leeway’s self-help groups and staff, started me on the road to re-entering the human race as an active participant.
With the help and guidance of my friends in social services, I am learning how to improve my interpersonal skills, continue self evaluation and, very importantly, deal with my substance abuse. They’re also assisting me with more practical matters like housing.
But it’s not all work. Carolyn and Sylvia of the Recreation Department have brought a long-absent smile back to my face by laughing and having fun. In fact, everyone at Leeway, including all the other residents, Pastor Joyner, has taught me so much about the value of life and myself.
I ask myself how can I ever repay Leeway for all they have done for me. For the help medically, emotionally and spiritually. For making me believe again that my life has beauty and purpose, even after the hell I’ve been through.
The simple answer is - I can’t! But then they tell me I already have, I am alive!
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