As I stood in the sunroom looking out the window, I thought I caught some movement in our backyard. I walked out onto the slate patio and peered into the dimly lit shrubbery when suddenly a figure dressed in black from head to toe emerged pointing a gunat me! I immediately jerked both hands above my head. Dont shoot! Please dont shoot, I croaked. I could hear my own heart pounding in my ears. Our son, Mike had come through the front door just minutes before. I had a million questions only he could answer. How had it all come to this? Never in my wildest dreamsor nightmarescould I have imagined a SWAT team in my backyard. But I hadnt imagined our son could become addicted to drugs either. Even though I was a trained counselor, I hadnt seen disaster coming under our own roof. As we stumbled through the hell that surrounds addiction, my maternal instincts were driving me harder and harder to save Mike. I was consumed with fear as my well intentioned efforts were enabling his addiction and prolonging the inevitable. How could I find the strength to let go? Who will help Mike now? Will he find a special angel from his past to lead him out of this darkness? Will he win the battle to survive? Take a journey so real you will feel the pain and the joy of every twist and turn in the road to recovery. If you, or someone you care for, is struggling with drugs or alcohol, Jos willingness to share her experience is both a blessing and a gift. I encourage you to take The Strength To Let Go home, find a quiet place to read uninterrupted, and open this gift. John V. G. Mayton, retired program administrator of the DART facility, Goldsboro, NC, certified alcohol and drug counselor (CADC), and certified substance abuse counselor (CSAC).