Blog for October 26, 2025
Thrive
To Thrive: (child, animal, plant) to grow or develop well or vigorously. To prosper, flourish, grow. Old Norse: thrifask– is to grasp or get a hold of. To do well and flourish. To prosper, be fortunate or successful.
During this past week my husband and I did not just exist, we thrived. We took a little trip, not too far from home, but far enough for a few days. We stayed in a nice place on the beach with perfect weather. We ate awesome food, experienced new and different atmospheres, and went to a meeting with some pretty nice people. It was relaxing and chill, just what the doctor ordered.
After returning home I was refreshed and continued to work on a project that’s taking me forever to complete, but one bit at a time, it’s getting done. My husband has continued on his project of restoring an old 1929 Model A Ford and today I worked on a lot of NA service responsibilities. The night we returned I went to help in a Public Relations booth (PR) where they were having a “fentanyl symposium”. What a horrible, terrible, very bad drug that is. The people using it- on purpose – are having a failure to thrive experience. The people who don’t even know they are getting it tend to die. Most definitely, using drugs addictively- any drugs- puts us in a state of failure to thrive.
A few years ago, I had a young granddaughter who had a baby and I remember my fears about her baby being a failure to thrive baby due to the fact that my young granddaughter had not a clue on how to take care of the baby. And her dad, my son, was using and gone all the time. They lived far from me, from all our family, so I was worried for the baby. We ended up asking the other grandma if they could go live with them for a year or so. She lived several states away, but is a retired pediatrician nurse, so she seemed like the best option.
Over the years, my granddaughter and her baby girl have remained there. Once my granddaughter was 18 and had graduated from High school she was put out. And that other grandma kept the baby girl, our great granddaughter, and has been raising her these twelve years. I don’t know that it has been a good thing, but that’s the way it went. I was grateful she was cared for as an infant, but now, I am sadden by the news I heard yesterday. At twelve years old, they have put my great granddaughter in an institution. She said she wanted to kill herself, and come to find out, that grandma has had her on psych meds for a while. Just like she did my granddaughter. I am upset to say the least. This is now a case of failure to thrive!
We thought that we’d sent her to the best place, at the time, when she was an infant. But that grandma is a big believer in medications. My son is very angry, and I pray he doesn’t use or do anything crazy, I told him we really need to pray. And I have been. This just proves, there are many ways, opportunities if you will, to become a failure to thrive static, at any age and not only by our own hand. That’s what we need to be mindful of.
It’s important to surround ourselves with people who also want to thrive, do better and to succeed. I’m not talking about succeeding in finances or popularity, but in their own personal growth. Just trying to do better each day and be the best them they can be, according to God’s will. For me personally, I do my best thriving around recovering people who are also like minded in faith, values and life. It’s even better if we like some of the same kinds of music. Lol
Living life is more than going to work, school, meetings, eating, cleaning house, doing laundry, working steps and sponsorship. It’s about thriving, finding our purpose, our people, our special person. It’s about tapping into our creativity, life and the wonders of this world. God’s world is absolutely amazing, as we got to witness this week and everyday of our lives. It’s about peace, finding our place in this crazy world and growing in it. It’s a whole lot about love. About caring, giving, and being ok with ourselves enough to let our own true light shine.
I don’t want to just live; I want to thrive! And I want my kids and grandkids to thrive. I am so grateful to NA and my God because of that, I know that I am not part of this problem, but maybe I can be part of the solution, I am praying about it, a lot.
Question of the Week: Are you thriving? Or just getting by?
8 signs you’re quietly thriving in life, even if life feels the same
- You care less about proving yourself.
2. You’ve stopped comparing your timeline to others.
3. You handle uncertainty better than before.
4, You’ve grown more comfortable being alone.
5. You’re more intentional with your energy.
6. You’ve made peace with your past.
7. You’ve redefined what success means.
8. You find joy in ordinary moments.
The bottom line: Thriving doesn’t always look like fireworks.
Sometimes, it’s more like a slow sunrise — subtle, steady, and easy to miss if you’re not paying attention.
Adam Kelton / Oct 10, 2025