This week’s Butterfly is Nikki. Born less than 3 pounds to a drug addict, Nikki was the middle of three children. Her family moved often, from state to state, including several stays in battered women’s shelters.
When Nikki was 15, her mom committed suicide. Nikki spiraled out of control into drugs. Manufacturing meth made her feel important. For the first time in her life, she felt she had security. But none of those people wanting drugs cared about her.
Selling drugs to an undercover cop got her caught; selling drugs got her time. While in prison, she entered the Beauty for Ashes program, and envisioned a different future. But, like many felons, freedom was a hard roller coaster.
When she hit the streets, she hit the bottom. Nikki knew she needed change and
moved to Kansas City, where she started her own business, enrolled in college and regained custody of her children. But, in her words, “I was just so tired. I had no support and I was just so tired.” Nikki started drinking which led back to drugs and she lost it all. “Except this time I had something to lose.”
In a desperate attempt to regain her life, Nikki moved to Alabama to enter the Adult & Teen Challenge. Finally, she had an opportunity to put into action all the things she’d worked so hard to learn.
You have an opportunity to put into action all the things you’re working so hard to learn too!
At the end of her program, Nikki was offered an internship with the Adult & Teen Challenge, which led to a full time position. Recently married, Nikki will be ordained as a minister in the near future. She says the strength of what she offers her clients is, “I’m so successful at failing that I can relate to anyone’s story.”
Nikki is a true example of perseverance. Fail and try again. Fail again, try something else. Fail a third, fourth or fifth time, keep trying something different. You’ll find the thing that works for you!
Never, ever quit.
