by Whitney....
When we started this website, we prayed that it would make a difference in someone's life. Even if we had reached just one person, we would have been thrilled. The response to our site has been overwhelming and we know that we are helping, even if in a small way. Those affected by addiction are excellent secret keepers. We wanted to remove the stigma of addiction by being honest and open about our own lives. Little did we know, even people with whom we are very close, would be inspired to share their own stories, a fact that warms our hearts and helps us fulfill our Daddy's legacy.
I had the pleasure of meeting Nancy 11 years ago when we moved to Fort Worth. I loved her from the minute I met her. Within a few weeks of meeting Nancy, I shared my struggles with my Daddy and she told me about her own husband's battle with alcohol. Nancy has been one of my most faithful supporters during the process of designing this website. She is a wonderful friend to me and I am so very proud of her for facing her fears and sharing her story. Although I know how difficult it was for her to write, I also know how healing this process can be and I pray that it has been uplifting for her. Here is her story, in her own words, straight from her heart.
My name is Nancy and I am co-dependent. I have known Whitney for 11 years. We have been through many things together and she has asked me to tell my story. When I met Whitney she didn't know exactly where her dad was, but soon found out that he was in a recovery program. As I got to know Whitney better, she shared her story about her dad with me. I think, even then, she suspected that I was living with an alcoholic and drug abuser.
I mention that I was co-dependent. What that meant to me at that time, is that I would not tell anyone what was really going on in my house. I tried to make it appear that life was wonderful. Also, it meant that I would rather live in horrible circumstances than to tell the truth. When Whitney shared with me about her dad, I began to realize what my own children were living with and I knew it was up to me to make the situation better for them. As my marriage ended, I promised my children that they would not ever have to live in a house where addiction was a problem or an issue again.
I met Bill through an on-line dating site. He told me in an email that he had renal cell carcinoma, which is a form of cancer. It started in his kidney and when it was operated on, it had spread to his lungs. He said he was in remission, but the cancer was stage four. My mother died of cancer when I was 15, so I knew some of what he was going through. We agreed to meet. To look at him, you would have never know that he was sick. He worked out, rode a bike five miles a day, and was so full of life. We had three dates and although I could tell he liked me, he still had not kissed me and I wondered why.
Bill said, "I have told you that I have cancer, but not the rest of my story". He told me that after he told me his story that if I didn’t want to see him that was alright and he would understand. He then told me that he was on probation for 20 years for possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and he had been let out of prison because they did not want to pay for his cancer treatment. I was shocked and told him I would have to think about it.
Now at this time in my life I only prayed or thought about God when I needed something. So that night I prayed. I asked God why He had introduced me to this guy who had a drug problem and was on probation. I said to God ,"Really? You know I promised the children that I would not put them through that again. I would not be involved with someone who had addiction problems. He told me to trust Him. I decided to meet with Bill and ask more questions. I was overwhelmed by the answers.
Part 2 coming soon......
When we started this website, we prayed that it would make a difference in someone's life. Even if we had reached just one person, we would have been thrilled. The response to our site has been overwhelming and we know that we are helping, even if in a small way. Those affected by addiction are excellent secret keepers. We wanted to remove the stigma of addiction by being honest and open about our own lives. Little did we know, even people with whom we are very close, would be inspired to share their own stories, a fact that warms our hearts and helps us fulfill our Daddy's legacy.
I had the pleasure of meeting Nancy 11 years ago when we moved to Fort Worth. I loved her from the minute I met her. Within a few weeks of meeting Nancy, I shared my struggles with my Daddy and she told me about her own husband's battle with alcohol. Nancy has been one of my most faithful supporters during the process of designing this website. She is a wonderful friend to me and I am so very proud of her for facing her fears and sharing her story. Although I know how difficult it was for her to write, I also know how healing this process can be and I pray that it has been uplifting for her. Here is her story, in her own words, straight from her heart.
My name is Nancy and I am co-dependent. I have known Whitney for 11 years. We have been through many things together and she has asked me to tell my story. When I met Whitney she didn't know exactly where her dad was, but soon found out that he was in a recovery program. As I got to know Whitney better, she shared her story about her dad with me. I think, even then, she suspected that I was living with an alcoholic and drug abuser.
I mention that I was co-dependent. What that meant to me at that time, is that I would not tell anyone what was really going on in my house. I tried to make it appear that life was wonderful. Also, it meant that I would rather live in horrible circumstances than to tell the truth. When Whitney shared with me about her dad, I began to realize what my own children were living with and I knew it was up to me to make the situation better for them. As my marriage ended, I promised my children that they would not ever have to live in a house where addiction was a problem or an issue again.
I met Bill through an on-line dating site. He told me in an email that he had renal cell carcinoma, which is a form of cancer. It started in his kidney and when it was operated on, it had spread to his lungs. He said he was in remission, but the cancer was stage four. My mother died of cancer when I was 15, so I knew some of what he was going through. We agreed to meet. To look at him, you would have never know that he was sick. He worked out, rode a bike five miles a day, and was so full of life. We had three dates and although I could tell he liked me, he still had not kissed me and I wondered why.
Bill said, "I have told you that I have cancer, but not the rest of my story". He told me that after he told me his story that if I didn’t want to see him that was alright and he would understand. He then told me that he was on probation for 20 years for possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and he had been let out of prison because they did not want to pay for his cancer treatment. I was shocked and told him I would have to think about it.
Now at this time in my life I only prayed or thought about God when I needed something. So that night I prayed. I asked God why He had introduced me to this guy who had a drug problem and was on probation. I said to God ,"Really? You know I promised the children that I would not put them through that again. I would not be involved with someone who had addiction problems. He told me to trust Him. I decided to meet with Bill and ask more questions. I was overwhelmed by the answers.
Part 2 coming soon......