My Why
JFaye Recovery Solutions
I have been an educator for over 30 years and recovering for over 17. While working as an instructional specialist for three years, part of my duty was to ride the bus home with students. I paid close attention to the students that were dropped off in transitional recovery houses. There were the students who performed well academically yet they seemed on the verge of exploding because they were driven by their perfectionism. There were the students emotionally traumatized because of what they had witnessed in the home when their parents were in active addiction. There were the students I coined wanting to be invisible, thriving academically, no behavior concerns, immaculately dressed, yet I could still detect a void. If for no other reason I am them, and they are me. A student named Brandon caught my attention. I saw him once at a Narcotics Anonymous meeting with his parents. Brandon showed up at school angry and didn’t mind letting everyone know.
The Inspiration
I had some insight with anger. My mother died when I was 17 which gave birth to my own unbridled addiction. The truth is I began to dabble in drugs before my mother died. I was full of anger, rebellion, close-mindedness, confusion, and needed help navigating my feelings. I watched my Mom spend three months in intensive care, fighting for her life. On May 22, 1985 she succumbed to what doctors thought was Encephalitis. I now know children are great observers and poor interpreters. I had no idea at that point I was motherless for the rest of my life and still had a necessity for parental guidance. I was ripe with all the ingredients for active addiction to thrive and place me on a downward trajectory. I managed to graduate from high school without her physical presence in my life. She was funeralized on my 18th birthday. JFaye Recovery Solutions is inspired by Brandon and all the other students who have temporary or permanently absent parents like us and need a life changing trajectory.