For his little brother...

I received the following letter from a reader and it moved me to a point where I knew I had to share this with my readers. If you read my blog, then you know the frustration of trying to help someone when all help seems futile. Please take the time to listen to the song and follow along with the lyrics included below. -- Linda

Hi Linda,

My younger brother has struggled with an addiction to heroin for about 6 years. It has ruined his character, destroyed his self-control, and robbed him of all of his money and possessions. Our whole family has tried to help him recover through several different rehabilitation services, but every attempt to save him from his addiction seemed to fail.

At one point, he begged for money living on the streets as we let him try to find his “Rock bottom,” but we realized this wasn’t going to heal him or improve his situation. We eventually tracked him down and we haven’t given up hope that he will change.

I know in your line of work, you are familiar with hundreds of stories similar to ours, and I know there are countless people who struggle to overcome addiction. I have learned that it is a far-reaching issue that devastates individuals and their families.

I wrote a song about my brother’s experience, and recently made a music video depicting some of his struggles. We are finding that this song and music video are educating, inspiring and empowering not only for addicts and former addicts, but also family members, and others who have never even had to experience watching a loved one being addicted.

That is why we want to share it with people like you. Please feel free to publish, share or forward to anyone you think might benefit from this song: https://youtu.be/j6TYySh5KfY

Thanks for all you do,

Rick Hale

singer/songwriter

rickhalemusic.com

I was very impressed when I heard this song and knew that I must share it with my readers.

https://youtu.be/j6TYySh5KfY

Here are the lyrics so you can sing alone:

V1

The muffled sound of old regrets

Burning out like cigarettes

Halfway gone and half to go

Fill the air with darkened haze

And all my empty yesterdays

Have brought me down a deeper low

And I can hardly breath it in

Chorus

What if there’s no end at all?

How much further can I fall?

Getting higher as my life’s descending

Something’s taken over me

I’m not the man I used to be

And I can’t take it if it’s neverending

V2

I know it’s hard to understand

You’ve only breathed it second-hand

But never walked inside these shoes

You hope someday I turn around

When I’ve crashed against the ground

And I have nothing left to lose

Chorus

Bridge

Trace the marks across my skin

Laying draped around my frame

They tell the story of my sin

But you turn your back and wash your hands of all my shame

Chorus