My home away from home, a five-star hotel in south Florida, boasted a beautiful balcony view and over-the-top in-room amenities. I experienced a glitch with registration, but the manager resolved the problem, and I made my way to my seventeenth floor room. By the time I reached my destination a visit to the toilet was in order.

I walked into the granite-countered bathroom, complete with garden tub and complimentary bathrobe. There were sliding doors above the bathtub that opened into the main living space. The sample bottles of sweet-smelling shampoos, lotions, and conditioners stood at attention like little soldiers.

There were two floor-to-ceiling opaque glass doors to my left, each one outfitted with bath and hand towels. “Wow, that’s some shower,” I thought.

I couldn’t find the toilet. I didn’t think it would be in the main living area, but, in Miami I guessed anything was possible. I stepped into the living area looking for another door hiding the toilet.

Because of the problems with check-in, I didn’t want to call the front desk and say, “Um, excuse me, I can’t find the toilet. Does my room have one?”

I went back in the bathroom area and stared at the opaque doors. I opened the one on my left and beheld the shower. My deductive powers kicked into high gear, and I figured the other door must lead to (oh, how I hoped it did) the toilet. I pulled on the handle and there it was—the toilet. What I needed was there all the time.

I know you’re wondering: What in the world does this have to do with addiction and recovery? Well, it speaks to the fact that not everything is as it appears. At first glance, it looked like I had a huge shower and no commode; lots of creature comforts, but no toilet. But what I needed was there, I simply had to open the right door.

It also is a reminder that resources are available, we just have to look for and access them—we have to open doors. A great starting place is the Internet.  Alcoholics Anonymous

and Narcotics Anonymous meeting times and locations, addiction counselors, even churches with ministries for families in recovery, like Recovery Church , can be located through Google or other search engines. Information about various drugs and withdrawal symptoms can be obtained through the web. There are numerous blog sites specifically geared to parents with an addicted child like AddictsMom.com . Help is available in many areas if we take the initiative to look for it.

It’s scary walking into a strange hotel room with its unfamiliar light switches, doors and windows. But, as a traveler you have to take risks at opening the doors, looking in the drawers for what will make your stay comfortable and pleasurable.

The same is true for recovery. It’s a strange new world with unfamiliar jargon and behaviors, but the rewards far outweigh the risks.

Go ahead, open the door, a new life is waiting for you.

 

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