1 year clean.....happy anniversary!!!

Yesterday, June 23 was the one year anniversary of my daughters sobriety. Last year at this time, i sadly did not expect my child to live much longer.
Her drug of choice was heroin, but anything would do. She lived on the streets, she lost her son, and the majority of the family turned their backs, exept me.
An addict will do anything to get what they need, and she did just that. She prostituted herself on several occasions, sometimes for cash but mostly for her heroin. She became a professional booster and managed to get away with big ticket items to sell. She was in jail at least 5 times in the course of 6 months.
At 13, she started out with pot and it just escalated from there, 15 years later she was standing at deaths door.
My nerves were frayed and i was a wreck every single day. I was fearing the worst. I couldn't deal with fact that i may have to bury my child. My heart ached constantly. I would go thru the photo albums and cry my heart out to the point where i couldn't even see thru my swollen eyes.
I would ask God to please take her in his arms and protect her. I couldn't sleep and each time the phone rang, i feared the worst.
She looked terrible, frail and gangly with blemishes all over her beautiful face. The track marks coveted her arms, she was bruised and black and blue from falling down. Her weight dropped to a mere 97 pounds. She looked like walking death. Her hygiene was poor and she chopped off her long blond hair. She wore the same clothes for days. She stole a pair of shoes from another addict in the crack house where she frequented, she took them off of her dead feet. These people just expire in these places, but no one makes a fuss about it and you never hear about it. These people belonged to someone, a mom, a sister, a brother, but they are swept away like yesterdays news.
The day came when i thought i saw a tiny glimmer of light. She had skipped bail and as usual, the police were looking for her. I knew where she was on this particular day. I wrestled with idea of calling in the sheriff, i didn't wrestle long, i called them and told them exactly where she was. Within 10 minutes she was picked up right where i said she was.
June 23,2008, was the beginning for us, but mostly for her. When the officer called me and told me that he had her in custody i broke down and sobbed until i couldn't breath. He told me she fought like a mad women and they had to shackle her ankles and basically hog tied her, face down in the backseat of the cop car. She kicked and punched at the police and spit at them several times, swearing at them like a mad hatter.
10 weeks in jail, no bail and 3 years probation, after jail time served she was mandated to an in patient facility the to a half way house where she just graduated from, with honors no less.
She will be attending college where she will study for her degree in social work and has completed a sign language course already.
She is now up to 120 pounds with a beautiful clear complexion. She is healthy and loving and has a hugh positive attitude. Each time i see her i hold her and smell her hair and cuddle her close.
She has her own apartment now and has a part time job in the evening at a vets office. Life is good for her.
I thank God every day for giving me the strength to make that call. He helped me save her life.