What do you remember about creating your Valley Hope Cup during treatment? What did your design represent at that point in your recovery?
It was a way to express my addiction and my recovery. It kind of tells the testimony. It's kind of funny you can tell a story without even having to say anything and I like to talk.
What did it mean to return for Renewal Day, see your cup again, and realize how much your life had changed in one year?
I was a 4 time repeat offender at Valley Hope of Parker, so picking up my cup was a major accomplishment in itself. I was finally able to feel accomplished true and honest with everyone involved in my new journey; it sent me on my new path. It has made me what I am today.
Today, when you look at your Valley Hope Cup, what does it symbolize for you?
When I speak at Valley Hope of Parker and other places, I speak about accomplishments. I like that word. The cup symbolizes what I feel to be one of many accomplishments. Remember when we came to rehab? We probably had not had any accomplishments for a while. The cup was the first physical, true accomplishment of something that we had done. That cup was the first small accomplishment, which Valley Hope of Parker and ourselves allowed us to build on and to create many more accomplishments, each one larger than the next.
Is there anything else about your Valley Hope Cup or your recovery journey that you'd like to share?
The cup started a journey, which now involves many people, new relationships, and new involvements in an entirely different environment than I was ever used to. I walk around with confidence. I feel humbled and achieved to be able to walk in too many places. To speak, teach and walk about freely. I never have to hide, lie, or feel ashamed ever again.
People would say things like “be in the moment” and “one day at a time” and that never made any sense to me. I can honestly say that I’ve learned how to do those things today.
In the first six months of sobriety I have restored my relationships with my family and friends, fallen in love with my sober partner, thrived in my career and gotten plugged back in with communities I enjoyed before my addiction.
My passion for reading has turned into a wonderful opportunity of reading for a network that helps others. I am now two years into my volunteer work and absolutely love it!
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