Today I had a flash of inspiration. I don’t have any addictions other than a vape. My fight in life has been aimed toward freedom. I realised when after doing my mission from the day, I were to stop vaping I would be truly free. I managed to lose my vape today, so I replaced…
Category: Healing / Growth
Harakeke, Kōwhai, and a Pūkeko
Today I walked past the little sluice pond near the house. The gate never opens, but the area around it is full of life. Harakeke grows thickly along the fence, the same Flax Māori use for weaving. A Kōwhai tree nearby is starting to show its yellow flowers. A Pūkeko was wandering around the edge…
Family Separation and the Quiet Work of Reunification
Family separation doesn’t happen all at once. It’s rarely a single moment or a single decision. More often, it’s a slow drift — life pulling people in different directions, circumstances tightening around them, misunderstandings building quietly, until one day you realise the distance has become real. And painful. And bigger than you ever meant it…
When You’re Ready
There are things I’ve carried quietly for many years — not because I wanted to hide them, but because I never knew how to speak about them without causing pain. Now that you’re grown, and a father yourself, I find myself thinking about the past more often. Knowing your daughter has grown has reminded me…
Living Without Cravings — My Experience With Naltrexone and Supported Living
When I decided to get sober, I realised something important: recovery isn’t just about stopping drinking. It’s also about changing the environment that keeps old habits alive. For me, alcohol shops were everywhere — familiar places, familiar patterns. So I made a deliberate choice to move into supported living. It wasn’t about running away. It…