Soulshine

In my recovery process I have learned that mending my brokenness requires the intention and the effort to do so. Understanding the 12 Steps and other recovery tools provides us with motivation to repair our lives. It was one of the greatest experiences of my life to be in early CODA meetings and to experience light-bulbs flashing in my head. Every meeting I gained wisdom for moving forward by listening to other CODA members share their stories. They placed words and definitions on experiences and feelings I had never known how to explain: "Fear of abandonment," "people-pleasing," "caretaker," "manipulation," "shame," "feeling not good enough," and even "self-love." Self-love was a foreign concept to me. I grew up in a very Catholic family and attended Catholic schools. Both at home and in school I was taught that self-love was bad, selfish, evil. Loving yourself was also conceited, reserved for narcissists, and oppos