About a month ago, my kids’ dad got out of jail. This isn’t the first time we’ve done the reunification dance, but it is the first time I’ve felt the weight of hope and caution so evenly matched. We’re still in the thick of it—figuring out what’s next, how to move forward, and how to keep our kids both safe and open to love. We tried, honestly. Three times we invited him over, wanting to give the boys a chance to reconnect. On the surface, things went okay. The boys were excited; there were campfires, little moments of connection, and me holding my breath the whole time. But then came the campground weekend. We hoped it would be a chance for them to do something simple, like swim together........ To finish reading this post please visit our new blog platform at progressisprogress.substack.com  

  Music and art have always been powerful forces for human connection and emotional expression. But in the world of addiction recovery, they’re something else entirely: lifelines, therapy, and sometimes even a slightly twisted form of group therapy where everyone’s invited to laugh, cry, and maybe question their life choices all at once. Why Music and Arts Matter in Recovery Let’s face it — traditional talk therapy can sometimes feel like trying to explain a bad hangover to a sober person. Music and arts? They speak the language of the messed-up brain better. They let you scream, whisper, cry, or laugh without the awkward eye contact. Creative expression offers: A way to dump all that emotional baggage without needing a therapist’s couch. A community where you’re not alone in your weirdness. A reason to get up and do something other than binge-watch bad reality TV. A tool to keep the relapse gremlins at bay — because when you’re busy writing a killer verse or painting your mood, th...