Dear Christian.

We’re asking family to write a letter to the sober Christian. Please address him as if substance abuse has never been an issue.

………….

A blank computer screen stared back at me for what seemed forever. It wasn’t that I had nothing to say, but everything to say. My baby brother, how I’ve missed you. The tears flowed as my heart turned into words on a screen-

 

Dear Christian,

Hey Pork-a-chop! Gosh, that story will never get old to me, haha! How have you been? We miss your crazy sense of humor around here. If there is one person that can turn our deary days around, it’s you! But you know what I love most about you?

Your Faith. Your love that you unselfishly give to others. Your dedication to anything you put your mind to. These are qualities that are not easily adopted. But for you it comes so naturally— its a part of you. I can’t wait until your three nephews can sit under your feet while you talk to them about Jesus. They long for a relationship with their Uncle Christian. You are, hands down, one of the strongest individuals I know. Thank you for being a leader in this family, someone who isn’t afraid to stand up for what they believe in (even if it isn’t of popular belief). Thank you for always having my back even when we don’t see eye to eye. Your love for this family is deeply rooted in your soul and it shows.

You are an incredible human who has and will continue to change the lives around you.

I love you,

Brittany

SEND.

Any ounce of anger I gripped onto over the last decade, left my body— my soul was lighter. My once distorted life seemed crystal clear. My brothers were fighting with all their might. What appeared to me as weakness was, in fact, them fighting the devil. Addiction ruled their minds as they tried to navigate a world that’d become foreign to them. They were growing more and more weary as their vision became smaller and smaller. Temptation swallowed them alive and desire held them hostage. Addiction is as real as the air you and I breathe.

Is it selfish? Is it consuming? Is it hell on earth for everyone? You bet it is. The mind is a powerful thing.