In celebration of the road less traveled;
Lessons from the Love Birds

Recovery: A Lifelong Journey
In celebration of the road less traveled

A road to freedom
(in spite of the inevitable potholes and flat tires).

A path of forgiveness
(both of others and yourself).

A street of dreams
(bypassing those all-too-familiar nightmarish dead ends).

A freeway of new beginnings
(devoid of those dreaded tollbooths that marked the old way).

An on-ramp to Transformation Turnpike
(that allows immediate access no matter where you are).

A parkway of beauty
(where you rediscover the indescribable wonder of nature).

A route of peace
(that leads beyond external happiness to inner contentment).

A highway of hope
(where the rear-view mirror gives way to the windshield).

A lifelong journey
(where the trip is as meaningful as the destination).

* The above poem is dedicated to countless friends who have made the courageous decision to acknowledge addictions and self-destructive patterns of behavior in order to begin the lifelong journey on the road called “recovery.”

Lessons from the Love Birds
What Les and Leslie Parrott teach about commitment

When it comes to love and marriage,
you should really know my friends.
They are classy, cute and funny.
Real life Barbie. Real life Ken.

Les and Leslie, like two parrots
guard the cage of love that lasts
From their perch, they glimpse the future
by reflecting on the past.

Yes, my feathered friends are love-birds
who have learned that feelings lie;
that warm fuzzies fueled by courtship
will in time sprout wings and fly.

They have also learned the secret
to what helps a marriage thrive.
Understanding and commitment.
will keep fading love alive.

More or less, both Les and Leslie
are convinced relationships
are like sailboats weighing anchor
as they leave where they’ve been slipped.

Where they travel is determined
by the way the breezes blow.
How you guide the sail and rudder,
how you act on what you know.

Ken and Barbie are but plastic.
Les and Leslie are quite real.
And their website’s more than birdseed.
It’s a fifty-five course meal.

* Les and Leslie Parrott’s popularity as psychologists and authors is attested to by the enthusiastic response that marks their marriage enrichment workshops. They are the founders of the Institute for Relationship Development at Seattle Pacific University. Their interactive website can be accessed at http://www.realrelationships.com