Presenting Julie. The past does not determine the future.
We were her 17th attempt at sobriety. She had been to prison. She had lost custody of her children. Her family was done with her. She felt sorry for herself. When Julie met the other women in treatment with her, she heard different versions of her story. She listened and she learned together with other women facing the same issues. She put her feet on the path to wellness by doing her assignments, by exploring her strengths not weaknesses and by finding support among other women in recovery.
She completed intensive residential treatment and stayed in supportive residential treatment while she looked for a job. That was not easy considering her legal history, but she found a minimum wage job in an office that was willing to extend a chance to her. Then Julie hit a speed bump. She was notified that she must pay child support out of her small income. Her sponsor asked her if she owed that money, and Julie admitted that she did. Her sponsor said, “Then pay the money!”
It was not overnight, but Julie re-built her life with the tools for living in sobriety. She regained custody of her children, she went to school with the help of her formerly estranged family, she earned a degree that opened doors to a high income producing job. She bought a house! She now helps women find the hope and healing that changed her life 15 years ago.
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