David’s Story: A Tale of a Plant, Sobriety, and Miracles — Rick R., Seagulls Group

I don’t remember believing in miracles before I came into the program many years ago. Old wives tales, or maybe just coincidences—that’s what I would tell myself whenever some miraculous event would occur. But I had a miracle happen in my life I’d like to share with you. Our son, David, had gone off to Gainesville to become a Gator—he was so excited! Turns out that the partying was the goal, not the classrooms, and he failed miserably. We made arrangements in the spring to get him to rehab, and then returned to Gainesville to clean out his dorm room. For whatever the reason, he had a small ivy plant in his window, so my wife, green thumb and all, brought it home and planted it in a walled atrium at our house. All that spring, and through the summer and fall, the plant just sat there—never grew more than an inch or two. David came out of rehab and into a halfway house and was doing very well in recovery. He came home, and all was well for a while. But slowly, his enthusiasm for the program waned, and he wound up going back out. And back in. And back out. And on and on. He was driving around in a beat-up old pickup truck, and thought he was doing great, working at a car wash, then flipping burgers. Finally, in desperation, he joined the US Army. Off he went to basic training, then to Germany, still drinking. He loved the German beers. Fast forward about 2 ½ years. The ivy plant still dormant. Then, in early January, it started to sprout! It grew like a weed! Nothing is supposed to grow like that in the winter! Turns out, that New Year’s Day, David had finally had enough of drinking and hasn’t had a drink since that day over 24 years ago. We never had to ask how David was—all we had to do was look out the window at the ivy plant, to see how he was doing! Like David’s program, the ivy grew and grew—it soon covered the entire atrium wall! Coincidence? I don’t think so. Like David’s continued sobriety, it was a miracle and God’s way of telling us that he was doing just fine and growing in his program. Ever since those days, I have come to appreciate all the miracles I see around me. My personal recovery is certainly a miracle! And so are so many others in the rooms. Miracles are all around us. All we have to do is stop and smell the roses . . . or admire the ivy!