I Am Thankful
“My dad lived in the fast lane. He was a womanizer who used to smoke and drink. My mom is the one who kept the family together. From the ages of 4 to 13, she would take me to church but I stopped wanting to go and started getting into trouble. I followed in my father’s footsteps and became addicted to nicotine, alcohol and marijuana. At the time, having fun was the most important thing in life — this led me to frequent bars and discotheques in the pursuit of wine, women and song. When I was charged, it seemed trivial and my thoughts were to simply pay a fine and move on. My criminal convictions are a result of being high or drunk and it has affected my life in many ways — I was declined jury duty, have been refused entry into the USA, and turned down for a job that I applied for. This has had a big impact in my psychological well-being. I continuously revisit all the negative experiences, even though my last charge was over 15 years ago. Around the turn of the century, I started some soul-searching and seriously considered the true meaning of life — my mom passed away and it seemed like I had finally come to my senses. In remembrance of when she used to take me to church all those years, I started reading scriptures and found my Lord Saviour, Jesus Christ. I also took a life skills program in 2002-2003 and, since then, I have successfully given up all drugs and alcohol. My outlook on life changed drastically. Now I don’t even consider doing mischievous things. I am thankful that I am still alive, that I have moved past many things and, mostly, that I was led back to the truth. I am clean and sober and convinced that I will never again return to that lifestyle of which I am ashamed.”