Different

I picked up one of my best friends from the airport last night. He was on a business trip last week when his brother-in-law's mother took ill and was told she only had about a week to live. Since he was already in the area, he took an extra weekend and spent it with his brother-in-law cleaning out the apartment of this 89 year old woman.  Want an example of a man dedicated to his family? He is it.

As we drove home he caught me up on everything going on in his life. He's struggling. He doesn't feel happy and he doesn't really know what to do about it.  Should he move? should he switch jobs? He has disengaged socially and really has no desire to re-engage. Is that the problem?  He went over and over some of these issues as I listened and commented.

Then he turned to me and said, "You're different. You're in a really good place right now, I can tell."  Oh, how I loved hearing those words. I feel different and I am in a good place. So many things have fallen into place recently and so many realizations have clicked inside me.  It was nice to have that recognized by someone other than my therapist.  Nearly every week he is telling me how different I am, and how much progress I've made.  Not to discredit him, but I pay him.  I do totally believe he would call me out if I wasn't making progress -- he has before. It was just so nice to hear it from someone who really doesn't know the battle with addiction I've had inside me.

I'm grateful for him in my life. I hope he can find some peace and happiness.