You are Worthy!

My name is Michelle Klaer, and I grew up in a family where addiction was prevalent, and it tore our us apart. Multiple times. My mother recently passed away and is finally in a place where she does not have to suffer or combat her addiction anymore. The struggle was so real and it was not just her; we all struggled with her addiction.

I don’t care who you are, or how old you are, or what side you are on; dealing with addiction is incredibly difficult.

It is difficult to love someone, and feel loved by someone who is addicted to substances. I speak from experience; if that person is your parent, the quest for love and understanding never ends.

Growing up, it was hard to feel worthy. On so many levels. I wanted to feel worthy of being a daughter. I wanted to feel worthy for not following my mother’s lifestyle. I also felt so ashamed that my life was so different that my friends, extended family and co-workers. At times I felt like a fake. That one day, someone might “find me out”. Find out that I was not like everyone else. That my family was not normal. That I was not worth my parent’s love.

I’ll talk more about vulnerability in later blogs, but wonderful things come through being vulnerable (of course, to the right people and at the right time).

I found my worthiness through friends and faith.

It is easy to gravitate towards people who are in your same place, who are struggling with the same issues.

I encourage to you to find friends who not only understand your situation, but also people who you admire and look up to.

That does not mean that they are better than you in any way, but they can help model a different way of love, friendship and family. They can help change the things you learned growing up in a home: forever longing to be worthy. These people can help you see that each and every day, you are worthy of doing all the great things your heart desires, and you deserve to have them. Don’t let your inner voice push these friendship away, they are worthy, and so are you!

I gave my life to Jesus Christ about 5 years ago, and it has grown and healed me tremendously. I will talk about it from time to time to help articulate my story and journey. I have learned through my salvation that I don’t have to carry every burden myself, and there is so much going on I cannot comprehend; that the vary reason that my life has been a roller-coaster and full of heartache and healing, could be to heal others that are walking through the place. How beautiful is that? How could I regret a life that has the potential to heal so many people and bring them hope? I can't. I have to believe that I am here with intention and purpose.

You are worthy: all of the memories, the situations, the ups and downs that make you, you. They are on purpose, and not to be ashamed of. You can have all the wonderful things your heart desires, and you can be strong enough to reach all your aspirations. Keep trying, surround yourself with people who you admire and who you love, and hang in there.

- Michelle Klaer