Jul 24, 2018
Heather and I both have brothers who died from a drug overdose
with heroin. But our connection is deeper than a tragedy. We both
have a grief bond that allows us to see purpose in our
pain.
Heather’s brother was her best friend. A funny, vibrant guy
that ‘would try anything once’ is how she describes him. Her love
for him is evident as she recounts his good-nature and her big
brother affection for him. He even shared with her the treasure of
salvation in Jesus. As teens, they both learned to walk the path as
new Christians.
Heather says they remained best friends even when he pulled
away from walking the “church life”.
Heather’s brother's addiction was started when got a Staph
infection. The medication that was prescribed started him on the
road to pill additcion, which funneled into an addiction of
heroin.
Heather was shocked the first time she heard of his addiction.
Because she felt so uninformed and was naive to drugs, it was hard
to accept the reality of how her brother was deeply trapped by
addiction. An addiction that put him on a tumultuous rollercoaster
his last few years and ultimately ended in his death.
Heather and I both connect over our loss and I share a bit
about the love of my brother as well. The best part of this episode
is hearing someone else validate my feelings that my brother's
addiction did not define who he was. And if you have a person in
your life struggling with addiction, it doesn't define them
either.