Are you watching the self-destruction of a loved one struggling with substance abuse, or are you the one addicted? Perhaps you are an observer standing outside the arena watching the chaos and asking yourself, "Why don't they just quit?" If you find yourself in one of these situations, this book is written with you in mind. By sharing our family's story of tragedy and triumph, we have an opportunity to encourage those whose life's pathways have taken them to some of the same dark places our family has been.
If ever a story of miraculous recovery--from the agonizing valley of alcoholism and addiction to the mountaintop of recovery and service--should be told, it is the story of Gene Duffy, my dad. His journey took him from the gutters of Chicago's skid row, including a trip to the morgue to be prepped for burial, to the peace and serenity of California's beautiful Napa Valley, where he pioneered an amazing work and became one of the most prominent voices for recovery in his day.
It is my hope and desire that this book, with my dad's life story serving as a platform for carrying the message of hope, and my sharing some lessons I learned along the way, may inspire someone who may be spiraling downward in cycles of misery and destruction to seek help. It may also encourage someone whose life has become difficult as they are being sorely impacted by another's deadly addiction. Let me assure you, there is hope! Although no one can go back and change their beginning, anybody can begin to change their ending! One does not have to live out the rest of their life captive to the misery and horrors of a difficult past; rather, they can begin today to embrace a happy and fruitful future.