When one person in recovery meets another an ineffable thing happens that is often difficult to put into words. At a gut level, a frequently unspoken yet palpable recognition occurs as they greet one another. Without words being spoken, they acknowledge that both have experienced unspeakable and often horrific events in their lives—perhaps in their formative years and most certainly in the depths of their addiction. Somehow they have managed, often with the help of others, to narrowly escape a most certain and untimely demise.
Some things that happen in our lives have such a profound impact that you can see their tentacles reaching into every avenue of your life. For me, I can see how living poor as an adolescent, losing my mother to cancer, and meeting my husband at an early age has impacted how I approach the world today.
Then other things happen, and while you know they are significant, you can’t trace their impact. You are at a loss on how to interpret the pain and the grief, so you put it aside and move on. I lost my dad to addiction when I was 21 years old.
Magic the Gathering is a collectible trading card game that dates back to 1993. It involves two or more players – wizards called “planeswalkers” – summoning creatures, using artifacts, and casting spells that ultimately bring their opponent(s) from twenty life to zero life. There are over 10,000 individual cards to choose from as players aim to construct 40, 60, or 100 card decks depending on the format. Some cards are very expensive – the most expensive one, a mint condition black lotus, can sell for over $20,000. Thankfully, most decks do not include the most expensive cards. Instead, they use the most recent sets from the past few years.
