I am here today because recovery is not only possible, it is sustainable if you commit yourself to achieving it one day at a time. It takes dedication and perseverance, but you can do it.

July 1, 2022 was a turning point for my family. Up until then, my days were full of chaos. I was struggling with methamphetamine use and it had taken over my life. My oldest daughter, just 15 at the time, was taking care of her three younger siblings because I could not manage the basic responsibilities of my life.

Then, the Travis County Drug Court intervened and took my children away for 13 days. It was the wake-up call I needed and couldn’t ignore.

My two youngest daughters were 3 and 4. They came with me to Nexus Family Recovery Center through the Pregnant and Parenting Women with Children program. Through group sessions, I learned not only how to manage my substance use disorder, but how to experience emotions authentically and reclaim the skills I needed to be a parent to my children.

At the same time, my daughters each had play therapy sessions to help them process our old life and prepare for our new one. When we first arrived, they would play with a doll family and have the big sister doll take care of the younger sisters. That was the life they knew, with their big sister taking care of them. But as the weeks passed and as we all began to heal, their play changed. On their own, they each began to show the mother doll taking care of everyone. It was reassuring for me to know that they trusted me to take care of them.

Today, my life has come full circle. I achieved my Recovery Support Peer Specialist certification that demonstrates my commitment to helping others on their own paths to recovery. And I now work for the very same Travis County Drug Court that once took my children away from me. I’m attending school for social work and I hope to continue to grow my career with the Travis County system. My story is a testament to the power of resilience and the possibility of recovery.

When I think about what it means to be #StrongLikeAMother, I think about my own recovery journey. At first, getting sober was about my children. I told myself I was doing it for them, because I wanted to get them back. But as I worked my program, something changed in me. I realized this had to be for me and about me, not for someone else. It’s hard for mothers to put themselves first. But when you do and you work on yourself, it makes everything better for your family.

My family would not be what it is today without Nexus Family Recovery Center, the Pregnant and Parenting Women with Children program, and the Child Development Center. Not only was I able to bring my youngest children with me, but they had their own time for healing. Every donation you make to Nexus Family Recovery Center represents a turning point for families like mine.