Conversations

I can remember lots of conversations I had with Lauren during her life. All of them are special now, even the hard ones. No one enjoys those when they need to take place, but we know they matter. One in Read more…


A Way I Can Help My Loved One

The other day I saw an ad on TV, it was from www.drugfree.org . The ad was promoting the idea that every family needs to decide which approach they will use to help a loved one facing addiction. Without exception Read more…


The Gift of Time

This week my wife Nereida is sharing thoughts on our story from the very different and unique perspective of a mom. I have been trying to figure out what to write about for this week’s We Chose Love Blog. Should Read more…


Second Chance

One of the worst days we experienced while trying to help Lauren as she struggled with mental health issues and eventually addiction was the day we learned that LaLa was addicted to heroin. That day started like any other Sunday Read more…


See Me

There is no other picture of Lauren and I that invokes more memories and emotion for me than the one at the right. It was taken in the nursery of our church on a Sunday night. I love it because Read more…


Complicated

Since my daughter passed away, I appreciate seeing little children with their moms and dads. I see their eyes filled with hope, their minds eager to discover and learn, and realize so much wonder lies ahead for them in life. Read more…


What Do You See

The other day I happened to drive by a house in our neighborhood. I remember when this particular house was built. The day I was driving by the mom was sitting on the front porch with her daughter. A few Read more…


A Day I Won’t Ever Forget

One of the most important elements in recovery is a surprise to most people. In his book “Chasing the Scream” Johann Hari makes this powerful statement “The opposite of addiction is not sobriety. It’s connection.” Wow, that is profound but Read more…


Listen to Your Kids as Early as You Can

This past week my wife and I did one of the hardest things we have ever done. We began the process of dismantling our daughters’ room. Surprisingly, the biggest and most difficult piece to take down, both physically and emotionally, Read more…


An Opportunity I Missed

Lauren had a favorite nickname, “LaLa”. It is the name she preferred that people call her by, her closest friends always did. I most always referred to Lauren by her given name. In my mind I was worried that her Read more…