RECOVERY REMINDER

Recovery is not a tangible event or destination that you reach and then say, “Okay, I’m done. I reached it.” Recovery is a lifestyle, an ongoing process and something that parallels a full time job for a while. Think of recovery like riding a bike. At first it is really difficult and scary and you need training wheels just so you don’t fall and crash. But soon you can take off one training wheel and then the other. Now you are learning to ride your bike without training wheels but you are really wobbly and unstable and you have many near crashes and falls. You have to practice a lot at first to get the hang of it. But then, all of a sudden, you start figuring it out. You find your balance. You ride a little further and you ride on more challenging roads. You get braver, more confident and may even try a trick or two. Then riding a bike turns into muscle memory. You don’t really have to think about it anymore, you just do it, you just know; it becomes a part of you. If you stop riding your bike for a while then you may be a bit off balance your first time back, but soon you’ll get the hang of it again. So think of recovery like riding a bike, like brushing your teeth, like learning a new language. It’s part of a new and healthy lifestyle that takes maintenance, just like anything of value does. ~Britt