10/28/2026
“For a long time, my life was defined by addiction, pain, and the choices I made while struggling to survive a life I didn't know how to live. People saw my mistakes, my failures, and the chaos that surrounded me. But what they couldn't always see was the person underneath it all a mother, a daughter, a sister, and a woman who was hurting, lost, and desperately trying to find her way back to herself. Addiction took pieces of who I was. It stole my peace, my self-worth, my relationships, and my ability to imagine a better future.
But the hardest part of my addiction wasn't what it took from me. It was what it took from my children.
Losing my children was a heartbreak I can't fully put into words. I carried overwhelming guilt and shame, knowing they deserved a version of their mother I was struggling to become. I never stopped loving them, but I had to learn how to show that love through safe, healthy, and consistent actions.
My journey wasn't easy. There were setbacks, broken promises, struggles with my mental health, and moments when I wondered if I would ever rebuild the life I had lost.
Then, on November 4, 2025, I began a new chapter.
Coming to Rimrock became a turning point in my life. I began to understand that I wasn't beyond help, my story wasn't over, and I was still worthy of a better future.
Recovery taught me that accountability doesn't mean living in shame forever. That asking for help isn't weakness. And that while I cannot change my past, I can take responsibility for the person I choose to become.
I learned to face uncomfortable emotions instead of running from them. I learned the importance of honesty, boundaries, faith, consistency, and accepting support.
And slowly, I began rebuilding the life I once thought I'd lost forever.
Today, my children are home with me full-time. ❤️
I'm working, rebuilding relationships with my family, showing up for school routines and appointments, and learning what it truly means to be present.
One of recovery's greatest gifts has been the opportunity to become the mother my children deserve not through perfection, but through presence.
Through showing up. Keeping my word. Making better choices. And creating new memories to replace some of the painful ones.
I don't have everything figured out. Recovery is something I work at every single day. There are still difficult moments, but today I have the tools, support, and strength to face them.
To the parents who are missing their children, to those who feel ashamed of their past, and to anyone who believes they've gone too far to find their way back, I want you to know something:
You are more than your worst decision.
You are more than your addiction, your relapse, your record, or your past.
Your story isn't over because one chapter was painful.
I know because I'm living proof that change is possible.
November 4, 2025, is my recovery date, and every day since has been another opportunity to build something better.
I cannot rewrite my past, but I can choose what I do with the life I have today.
I choose to keep showing up. I choose to keep growing. I choose to keep doing the work for myself, for my children, and for the future I once thought was out of reach.
My addiction is part of my story, but it is not the end of my story.
I am a mother.
I am a survivor.
I am a woman in recovery.
And I am proof that hope is still alive. 💜💚” - Makyla
