ann kiemel

the children were so sweet. they
loved california. everything looked brand
new compared to chicago where will and i and
the children lived.

without herb and dona, nothing would
have changed. they loved will, but took one
look at me, and knew something drastic was
happening in our family. herb called will,
and simply told him they had sent us somewhere
and would not reveal farther than this. to this day,
they are still some of my closest friends. because
of them, i am here today.

i had a few pills in my purse.
pain pills. the holiday was finally
behind us. and jan, my twin sister, flew out
to take care of the boys while i went into a detox/rehab.
center. a nice one. every penny put on the table
by herb and dona.

i walked into rehab. and absolutely knew God had
put me here, and i wouldn't walk out until i was free.
there were no options for me. i was now a single
mother (legally separated), and if i REALLY loved
them the way they deserved, my feet had to be on the
ground and my mind clear. they deserved everything good.

most addicts and alcoholics have wandered in and out
of these places, and knew the routine. this was brand new
for me. when the nurse told me i needed the "BIG BOOK",
i looked at her with a frown on my face.

"you mean the Bible"?
"no. you know. the BIG book!"

it took me a week to figure that out. i mean, i was
in japan or china or russia because no one spoke
english.

more tomorrow. thank you for your responses and love!