Be grateful for your families

March 05, 2018


I walked into the kitchen at the Blue Sky Lodge one afternoon. I looked around at my group of friends. “I feel really blessed,” I said. “You know we’re more like family than friends.”

They agreed.

My house is full of friendship, and at the risk of sounding mushy, it’s full of love. There’s almost always someone home to take care of the place, though we do forget to take the trash out from time to time.

I’ve learned and laughed with my housemates, and I hope that they have learned from me as well. Are you grateful for the people you live with? Or if you live alone, are you grateful for your friends? Someone once told me that the great thing about being independent is that we get to choose our families. Be thankful for your family today, whether it’s the one that you were born with or the one that you’ve chosen.

Our families are a gift.

God, thank you for my families.

From the book: More Language of Letting Go

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About the author

In addiction and recovery circles, Melody Beattie is a household name. She is the best-selling author of numerous books.

One of Melody's more recent titles is The Grief Club, which was published in 2006. This inspirational book gives the reader an inside look at the miraculous phenomenon that occurs after loss--the being welcomed into a new "club" of sorts, a circle of people who have lived through similar grief and pain, whether it be the loss of a child, a spouse, a career, or even one's youth.

For more information about Melody and her books, visit the author's official website