God gives you the opportunity to touch lives in many meaningful ways. I feel that is what happened to me when I became Recovery Court Judge of the 12^th Judicial District. Many don’t truly understand what our recovery court does—I know I didn’t until I became involved. We praise people for being successful, and we pick them up when they fall. At the end of the day, though, we hold them accountable for the choices they make.

When people apply to be part of the Recovery Court, I look in their eyes during their intake interview and first court appearance. They are tired. They are scared. They are afraid of dying because of their addiction.

During my tenure, I’ve seen successes, and I’ve seen sadness. My favorite parts of Recovery Court are the life stories of our participants. Most recently, a middle-aged man stood in front of me with tears in his eyes and said his father finally looked at him without disappointment in his eyes. That’s powerful.

Addiction is a life-long battle. Please don’t give up because we won’t give up on you.