Here's Angela, 2020 Thistle Farms Residential Graduate

It’s mid-April and it seems like the flowers haven’t been notified that social distancing is a thing. Throughout Nashville all of the flowers are blooming. From the finely manicured lawns of country music stars to the thistles that grow along the forgotten places, everywhere you look there are flowers. So when Angela was asked what one word described her life today, and her answer was “blossom,” it was as if all of creation was celebrating in agreement. 

“I had used drugs for over 20 years. I got clean for a while, but relapsed when I lost my husband. I sad and I was tired. I wanted to change my life but I didn’t know how. 

"I was getting high one night, and by around 4:00 or 5:00 the next morning I had just had enough. I entered rehab where a graduate of Thistle Farms Residential worked. She told me about the program and emphasized that it was a two year commitment, which scares some women, but not me. I was ready. I entered on Friday the 13th, a good luck day for me!

"Today I have everything I need and want. I am rebuilding my connection with my daughters and grandsons. I remarried on Valentine’s Day and became a stepmom to a precious 8 year old boy. I have a great job at The Cafe at Thistle Farms and a whole community that loves me. 

"I lived in the mud for a long time and my mom and my sister prayed for me constantly. Little did any of us know that while it looked like those prayers weren’t working, they were. My roots grew strong and I can stand tall on my own now. Face to the sun!"

We're proud of you, Angela. Watching you blossom has been a gift to our entire community. 

#LoveHeals