Many of us have expressed grief about the loss of potential of our difficult child's due to mental illness or addiction. The leader at our NAMI meeting yesterday shared this story and I liked it and wanted to share with my SA friends.
All of our difficult child's start out on the train of life with others their same age. As they start their journey through life, they all start at the same place. At some point, though, illness or addiction forces our difficult child's off the train. Sadly, the train continues on without them and the others continue their progress along the journey. Our difficult child's get stuck in their illness and/or addiction and can't get back on the train. If and when they do get better and get back on train, they get back on where they got off the train in the first place and are miles behind others their same age.
I guess we just all have to be patient and hopeful that our difficult child's can get back on the train even if they are behind. Forward progress is better than no progress.
~Kathy
All of our difficult child's start out on the train of life with others their same age. As they start their journey through life, they all start at the same place. At some point, though, illness or addiction forces our difficult child's off the train. Sadly, the train continues on without them and the others continue their progress along the journey. Our difficult child's get stuck in their illness and/or addiction and can't get back on the train. If and when they do get better and get back on train, they get back on where they got off the train in the first place and are miles behind others their same age.
I guess we just all have to be patient and hopeful that our difficult child's can get back on the train even if they are behind. Forward progress is better than no progress.
~Kathy
