RDAP Graduate

May 25, 2012
I am finally an RDAP complete!  We had our transition ceremony this morning.  IT’s been a long 9 months and I made it through!

This is the biggest accomplishment of my life!  And I don’t think it is a coincidence that my high school graduation was on the same day, May 25, 12 years ago.  That graduation was for academics.  But I didn’t learn the life skills I needed to make it.  Actually, I might have learned them, but I didn’t live them or make them a part of my life.

This graduation is for those life skills that I misplaced.  I have learned more about myself and who I want to be.  And I can live life on life’s terms and not take the easy route when things get though.

The Warden spoke at our ceremony today.  And he talked about “HOPE.”  I thought this was very fitting being that my word of the year is hope!  (Yes it is still my word… even though I have been slacking on writing hope blogs each week… I HOPE you’ll forgive me 🙂

Anyways, he said that we have a confident expectation that we will go out and use the skills we’ve learned.  We had this same hope that we would finish the program.   And that when struggles and difficulties come our way, it is this hope that gets us through.

I know my hope is in God.  He is the One that gets me through.  And I confidently expect Him to come through for me!

I feel that today is another stepping stone to the life God has planned for me!  I am very grateful for this program.  It has played a huge part in who I’ve become.  As well as the women that have touched me here.

And I can proudly hold my head high now and say, as the chaplain said today… “HOPE… NOT DOPE!”