“My girls see me pray, they see me less angry, they see me talk and mean what I say about my belief in God and getting better,” she said. “They laugh with me, they open up with me about boys, friends, and family. They even want to stay with me.”
All these moments with her daughters mean a lot to her and reassure Faradilla that getting better, no matter how challenging, is worth it.
As a former drug addict, she acknowledges that the road away from addiction is always going to be challenging. Rehabilitation, dealing with relapses, reconciliation, all these take up much time and energy.
“I’ll be honest, once you’re in, it will be so, so hard to get out,” she admitted.
“But I also remember the days I couldn’t sleep, the nights I was awake with paranoia, the time I was in prison and none of my loved ones were around, the anxiety I felt about being inside in case any of them passed away.
“These thoughts keep me going, even when it’s hard,” she said.
“So no, it’s not impossible and never too late to change. I never want anyone – even myself – to think that my past life was the only kind of life for me.
“In the halfway house, one of the quotes that stuck with me and will always keep me going is this: ‘After the darkest chapter, there is a new page waiting to be written’.”
