Women in Recovery - Transformation and Transition at its Best

This week I had the pleasure and privilege to attend the Graduation Ceremony for 18 women in recovery from substance abuse at a local Women's Services Center. It was one of the best days of my life. Never before have I seen and felt the glory and intensity of the human spirit so hard at work in transformation. At a certain point in time during the two-hour event, words became unncessary -- the feelings evolved so deeply that everything eventually became inarticulate.

Eighteen women, ranging in age from late teens to early 60's, celebrated their recovery from addiction. Many of them had never walked in a graduation processional of any kind. Some were also graduating out of homeless shelters. All of them were graduating into clean and sober life.

We cried, we stood, we clapped, we sang, we danced in the aisles, we laughed, we celebrated, we sighed. And we hugged -- wow, did we hug! In the course of two hours, I received about 50 hugs. Real hugs. Tightly squeezed hugs. None of this "air hug" stuff. I was HUGGED. 50 times. That's how good transformation and recovery feels. You just want to hug people and let them know "I'm back!" and "I finally made it and it feels so good!"

The ladies chanted in Obama-style "YES WE CAN...change lives!" "YES WE CAN...impact families!" "YES WE CAN...celebrate recovery!" The whole room roared! The tears flowed freely.

Two ladies shared their personal stories of harrowing sorrow, degradation, shame and heartache and then finally glorious recovery. They spoke of anger, depression, trauma, abuse, resentment, self-pity, abandonment, rejection, and fear. And they also spoke of fresh new hope, vigor, strength, friendship, support, forgiveness, resolve and solace in their sobriety.

Young children and babies were reunited with now sober mothers who had once lost their children to foster care. Mothers and fathers, now in their late 60's and 70's, witnessed grown daughters in their 40's and 50' be honored for their transformation after a lifetime of addiction and dysfunction. Proud school-agers and teens left school early to attend the festivity in honor of their radiant mothers. SO HAPPY were these parents and children -- their faces lit up like holiday lights -- the happiness was palpable, in their eyes, on their faces, in their gait, in their smiles. This was REUNION and RENEWAL for everyone...

As agency staff were introduced, the ladies responded with thunderous hollers, applause, and standing ovations. Counselors, administrators, evaluators, child care workers, parenting advisors, probation officers, judges, police officers...all were present to celebrate this day and all were appreciated. One of the counselors told me "I love my job, been doing this for 12 years. It is a sheer joy for me to be in these ladies' lives. They allow me to love them."

One by one, each graduate was called to the podium by their counselor and each of the ladies received a certificate, commemorative coin and pin, their own copy of The Pinwheel Girl Takes Flight, and a Pinwheel Girl "Find Your Voice" journal. As I presented my gifts to the graduates, and looked into their eyes, I felt transformed myself...my heart shattered into a million pieces...these ladies busted open my heart and made me find more and more room for all their grace and dignity.

As I looked at them, shook their hands, and exchanged more hugs, I thought to myself..."Everyone is more similar than we think even in a situation like this...maybe we are not all addicts -- but don't we all have to recover from something?"

"And don't we all have to recover something that we've lost?"

Every emotion in the human spectrum was palpable in that room and as I witnessed this I saw firsthand how every single woman on this planet is a WOMAN OF WORTH. Every...single...woman.... is a WOMAN of WORTH...even when she is miserably failing.

Every single woman is capable of transformation, of being true to themselves, and of living the life they love and want. Every single woman, no matter what her life experience is, or her external circumstances, has the inner tools to move through transition and into glory. Every single woman, no matter how small or inconsequential our culture, our political systems, our agencies, our legal system, our schools, and our families believe her to be, has the value and the eventual integrity to become what she was meant to become.

Let's not forget this.

For all the Ladies in Sobriety: "...feel yourself ascending...the wind inside you will carry you...it always does...so soar sweetly upward across the sky and into your own magnificence...there the view is beautiful...to get there begin to dream again..."

For more information about Nicasa Women's Services, visit http://www.nicasa.org/
To share the Pinwheel Girls with a woman you know, visit http://www.pinwheelgirls.com/

Warm Winds to You All!