Powerful Medicine

I get out of my car slowly.
I’m limping.

My foot and ankle are really bothering me.
Hard to believe this is the same body
that did an Ironman not so many years ago.

And yet—
I’m happy to be here.
Happy to be here for myself.
Happy to be here for others.

I don’t have to go to a meeting.
I get to go to a meeting.

This is where my people are.
This is where I belong.
This is where I’m nourished.

Life itself is connection—
fellow travelers who’ve been on the same journey.
We took different roads to get here,
but now we’re on the same path.

And then I hear it—
there’s someone new in the room.
Three days clean and sober.

My heart lifts.

He looks scared.
Afraid.
But he’s smiling too.

We tell him to relax.
To be comfortable.
We like him already.
We want to help him.

I remember what it was like.
I was afraid.
Sick to my stomach.
Head pounding.
I didn’t want to be there.

But this man wants to be here.
He wants to stop.
He’s brought someone with him for support.

I can feel the love in the room.
This is where the magic happens.

We tell our stories:
what it was like,
what happened,
and what we’re like now.

We’re serious—
but we laugh.
We laugh with each other.
We laugh at ourselves.

It is hard work.
Grit.
Determination.

But we somehow manage to make it through each day,
and it is so damn worth it.

It’s a good place to be.

This kind of recovery comes from heart-to-heart connection—
from people who know exactly what you’re going through.

A lot of people want to help,
and they mean well.
But lived experience matters.

It’s like trying to understand childbirth
without ever giving birth.

You can be kind.
You can be sympathetic.
But you don’t really know.

In recovery, you need people who’ve been there.

By helping others,
we help ourselves.

This is why I’m still here.
This is why it matters.

As I limp back to my car,
I wave at the newcomer.

My heart is soaring.

***

If these stories resonate, you’re invited to join my Reader’s Circle for reflections and occasional behind-the-scenes insights.
You can sign up anytime at Reader’s Circle — Dr. Larry Smith