Stepping Stones: A Memoir of Addiction, Loss, and Transformation
Addiction is a stealth predator. Unrecognized, it will grow and flourish. Unchecked, it destroys.

Marilea Rabasa grew up in post-WWII Massachusetts in a family that lived comfortably and offered her every advantage. But they were also haunted by closely guarded family secrets. Alcoholism reached back through several generations, and it was not openly discussed. Shame and stigma perpetuated the silence. And Marilea became part of this ongoing tragedy.

From an unhappy childhood to a life overseas in the diplomatic service to now, living on an island in Puget Sound, Stepping Stones chronicles Marilea’s experiences, weaving a compelling tale of travel, motherhood, addiction, and heartbreaking loss. The constant thread throughout this story is the many faces and forms of addiction, phantoms that stalk her like an obsessed lover. What, if anything, will free her of the masks she has worn all her life?

An inspiring, poignant recovery story, Stepping Stones tells how Marilea took on the demons that plagued her all her life—and defeated them.
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Stepping Stones: A Memoir of Addiction, Loss, and Transformation
Addiction is a stealth predator. Unrecognized, it will grow and flourish. Unchecked, it destroys.

Marilea Rabasa grew up in post-WWII Massachusetts in a family that lived comfortably and offered her every advantage. But they were also haunted by closely guarded family secrets. Alcoholism reached back through several generations, and it was not openly discussed. Shame and stigma perpetuated the silence. And Marilea became part of this ongoing tragedy.

From an unhappy childhood to a life overseas in the diplomatic service to now, living on an island in Puget Sound, Stepping Stones chronicles Marilea’s experiences, weaving a compelling tale of travel, motherhood, addiction, and heartbreaking loss. The constant thread throughout this story is the many faces and forms of addiction, phantoms that stalk her like an obsessed lover. What, if anything, will free her of the masks she has worn all her life?

An inspiring, poignant recovery story, Stepping Stones tells how Marilea took on the demons that plagued her all her life—and defeated them.
16.95 In Stock
Stepping Stones: A Memoir of Addiction, Loss, and Transformation

Stepping Stones: A Memoir of Addiction, Loss, and Transformation

by Marilea C. Rabasa
Stepping Stones: A Memoir of Addiction, Loss, and Transformation

Stepping Stones: A Memoir of Addiction, Loss, and Transformation

by Marilea C. Rabasa

Paperback

$16.95 
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Overview

Addiction is a stealth predator. Unrecognized, it will grow and flourish. Unchecked, it destroys.

Marilea Rabasa grew up in post-WWII Massachusetts in a family that lived comfortably and offered her every advantage. But they were also haunted by closely guarded family secrets. Alcoholism reached back through several generations, and it was not openly discussed. Shame and stigma perpetuated the silence. And Marilea became part of this ongoing tragedy.

From an unhappy childhood to a life overseas in the diplomatic service to now, living on an island in Puget Sound, Stepping Stones chronicles Marilea’s experiences, weaving a compelling tale of travel, motherhood, addiction, and heartbreaking loss. The constant thread throughout this story is the many faces and forms of addiction, phantoms that stalk her like an obsessed lover. What, if anything, will free her of the masks she has worn all her life?

An inspiring, poignant recovery story, Stepping Stones tells how Marilea took on the demons that plagued her all her life—and defeated them.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781631528989
Publisher: She Writes Press
Publication date: 06/16/2020
Pages: 336
Product dimensions: 5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Marilea grew up in a small Massachusetts town. Her marriage took her overseas where she lived with her husband and children in the Foreign Service. Divorced, she taught English as a Second Language in Virginia for seventeen years.

She and her partner, Gene, still visit New Mexico regularly where they lived for a decade after retirement. When she’s not writing, she sings in a small women’s choir. Music is a big part of their lives, and Gene plays several instruments with local musicians. Marilea also does volunteer work in twelve-step organizations. They have fruit trees and a garden where they enjoy working. Whenever possible they still get away to enjoy hiking, skiing, and canoeing locally. Most of the year is for grandchildren, boats, and salt air—with daily walks on the beach—at their home on an island in Puget Sound.

Marilea received her Master of Arts (Reflective Practice) in Teaching. In 2013 she joined Story Circle Network and began writing down and publishing her life stories. They have appeared in several publications, among them the SCN Anthologies, their Journal and their blog, “One Woman’s Day.” Much of her full-length work exposes a lifelong battle with substance use disorder, and the writing itself has proved to be cathartic and healing.

Marilea has a website www.recoveryofthespirit.com where she has blogged on the topic of substance use recovery since 2014. Her memoir, Stepping Stones: A Memoir of Addiction, Loss, and Transformation is an inspiring tale of two journeys: her outward journey paralleled a sacred inner journey, where she sought a state of harmony and grace. Hers is a story of family fragmentation and years of emotional illness that led to various forms of substance use disorder and sent her spiraling at several points into madness.

This is the story of her courageous struggle to fit the pieces together and, in the end, find her own road to happiness.

Table of Contents

Preface: Going Home 1

Part 1 Sleepwalking

Photographs 9

Walls 11

Spiders 12

Air 14

The Woods 15

Stuffing 19

Blueberries 21

Family Ties 23

The Old Man Next Door 25

Comet 27

Sponge 29

Mansions 30

Nut Pie 32

Changing Times 34

The Sub 35

Heaven or Hell? 40

Appearances 43

Attics 45

Screams 46

Detour 50

The House by the Lake 52

New Kid 53

Gathering Steam 55

Sunlight 57

Music 59

Ambition 61

A Refrigerator Half-Full 62

Manischewitz 67

Prom Dress 68

Caving 69

The Outsider 71

Deb 75

Baggage 77

Doña Tini 80

Beaches 85

Jetty 88

The Printer 90

Bananas 92

Wasp 94

Closed Windows 96

Dinner Hour 97

Harvard Men 99

The 5:35 101

Broken Pieces 103

Away 108

Part 2 Muddling Through the Middle

No Pressure! 113

Volcanoes 114

Train Wreck 116

Third World 120

Revolution! 122

Blood and Wine 124

Guinea Pig 127

Mother Love 131

Earthquake 136

Three Maids 139

Little Girl 145

Bamboo 146

Shadows 147

Balloons 149

Wait 151

Icebergs 152

Solo 153

Witness 154

On the Edge 157

Stealth Bomber 160

Crossroads 162

Eleni 163

Bugs 166

Glue 168

Straws 170

Echo 174

Rumblings 176

The Train 177

Widow 179

Blossom 186

Reckoning 188

The Continuous Lie 190

Air Currents 192

Indian Summer 194

Red Flag 196

Trains and Planes 198

Split 200

Part 3 Waking Up

Niche 205

Single Mom 206

A Day in the Life 209

Listen! 211

Threes 213

Out of the Blue 215

Still Hiding 218

My Second Wind 222

Lobster Dinner 224

Riptide 229

Damages 231

My Daughter/Myself 233

Two-Stepping the Twelve Step 238

Fear 240

Well, It's Five O'clock Somewhere 242

Nuts 244

Dad 247

"How is Annie, Marilea?" 248

Dissolved 250

The Insider 253

Excuses, Excuses 255

Interiors 256

A Family Disease 257

Generations 259

Aunt Meg 261

Hurricanes 263

Torn 265

That Damn Drawer 267

Cleaning House 268

Before 271

Owning It 273

Rebel 275

Karma 277

Birthdays 279

Duxbury 280

Lemonade 281

Another Angel 282

The Talk 284

Reflections 286

Steely Women 288

Potlucks 289

Gratitude 290

Walking With Emily 296

The Sound of Water 297

Taking It In 298

Grace 301

Going Back 302

The Good Guest 305

Coming Home 308

Settlement Day 309

"Late Fragment" by Raymond Carver 311

Endnotes 313

Acknowledgments 315

About the Author 317

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