Nancy

I was watching Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew tonight, and was very moved by something a woman named Nancy had to say. Nancy's son, Layne Staley, was the lead singer of the band Alice in Chains, who died as a result of drug use in 2002. His best friend Mike Starr is currently in rehab for his own drug use, and Layne's mother Nancy is a huge and faithful support to his recovery. Her role as that support is admirable and outstanding in itself, but one thing in particular that she said on Dr. Drew was really touching, and something I'll never forget.

Nancy addressed the entire group of patients in Mike's rehab group, sharing her story and making a message about the finality of death. Through tears, but also with remarkable composure (this woman is astounding), she told the men and women in front of her how powerful the death of an addict can be on his or her loved ones, and how there is only one opportunity for any of us to live this life. She told the recoverees that while they think a celebrity life is the road to happiness, she asserted that instead,

"You want a boring, predictable life. And you cannot believe how rich that is until you're in it."

As a person who is always seeking out the opposite of boring and predictable, I thought this was so profound. This woman lost her son to stupid drugs. And she is giving her time and self to prevent others from losing their lives to mere substances. Nancy is a light who has inspired me.

If you're interested, you can watch the video of Nancy's speech here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnqAFNZB1us&feature=related

The second video is a more intimate account, where Mike apologizes for what he feels was his responsibility for Layne's death, Nancy's forgiveness of Mike, and the consequential relief for Mike. We can never encounter too many illustrations of grace, as we are so quick to walk away from them and forget about grace's power, instead seeking out substances (be it drugs, clothes, friends, popularity) to try and fulfill and fix us:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbI79upgizU&NR=1

And if you want to watch ONE more video, here is a video of (big surprise) Craig Ferguson, filmed in 2007, talking about his own recovery from alcoholism and the media's harsh criticism of Britney Spears. Fantastic message from the heart:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bbaRyDLMvA