About a year and a half ago I was living in my car addicted to fentanyl and anything else I could get my hands on. I was a living nightmare to my parents and friends. Stealing and lying my way through life. My son was born on July 8 2022 and for the first five months of his life, I was a no-show deadbeat, dad. I didn’t or couldn’t see a way out.
Finally on Christmas Day 2022 my friend Eric decided he seen enough and knew that our mutual friend Tony had started a place called B. Riley so he decided to get in touch with Tony the executive Director and our mutual friend.
Tony was on vacation when he got the call, but he answered anyways he proceeded to tell Eric that the day after he gets back to bring me up there. When I walked into B. Riley, I was defeated, beat, broken, torn, sad, disheveled, and everything else. I knew this was my last chance to finally get things right and be the dad that I always wanted to be and the Dad that my son needed. So I started the program at B. Riley on January 1, 2023 and I decided that I was going to listen and pay attention. Try to understand and do everything I can to better myself. I adopted a new way of thinking that I never had experienced in my 42 years of life. I did everything staff told me to do and suggested I took part in the community. I helped everyone there that I could and I opened up.
Halfway through the program, I realize something changed in me a switch got flipped The new me was emerging. Before I left B. Riley I decided I was going to live by a motto, You either hit the ground running or you hit the ground and I didn’t wanna hit the ground again. That fall is too painful. Since leaving B. Riley, I got a good job. I get to spend every day with my son. I help people in any way I can no matter how large or small. When I was a resident B. Riley, I was known as the guy who said every day how grateful he was absolutely nothing has changed since then every day I feel grateful. Every day I say it so someone can hear it. My life has done a complete 180 mentally and physically. All this happened because I paid attention. I listened and I participated with an open mind and open heart. I will say as a disclaimer though I’m not perfect every day presents a new challenge. I still have stress. I still have problems. I still have issues the differences today they’re good problems. It’s stress that’s normal. It’s issues that can be dealt with. I could never give enough love or show my true appreciation to be Riley to Tony to the staff to the residence to everybody I met along the way each one of them gave me a little nugget of information that I put away and I kept, and I use all that to this day. If you take anything from this message, take hope take love and understand that no matter how bad it seems no matter how ruthless it is no matter how deep the hole your in. You can dig yourself out if you accept help and you put in the effort this is easier said than done, but that’s what makes it worth it, makes it so gratifying and that’s why I refuse to not be grateful even for one day. And just so you know how heartfelt and serious this message is I couldn’t hold back the tears towards the end.
I love B. Riley. I love everybody that has gone through there. That is there now and that will be going through there. I love the staff. I love the idea and also I love the opportunities that it has afforded me today. Spread love, not drugs. We don’t need to lose any more friends or family. There can always be a way out. I love you all from the bottom of my heart. Thank you so much for all the opportunities and for giving me the life I have today and especially thank you Tony you’re more than a friend your a brother, your a brother and arms.
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