It won't be long until your adventure in Hope Valley all have ended.  I trust you made a few good friends and the staff there will have been of immense value in helping you deal with your addiction.  I know it has been a real eye opener for me and I have learned a great deal in understanding substance abuse--which I feel strongly now should be viewed as a family disease.
    On one hand, I know that if our own family had not been embroiled in divorce, our own addictions, which I'm sure confused you, and we had been this wholesome, happy family, the odds of your embracing narcotics would be lessened.  Unfortunately, that was not the case, but the fact is that you decided to do drugs.  We didn't make you...you did it on your own.
    Now, you have found out that you have the disease of addiction.  I need to know how I am going to overcome your past abuse of my trust.
    You have four choices concerning where you are going to live for the short term.  First is jail, which you might get a stay in thanks to violating your parole.  Second is your mom's, third is with me and fourth is somewhere else.
    Then the question will be you working sufficiently enough to reduce the significant amount of indebtedness you've acquired.  I think that with a full time and part time job that it will only take a matter of months to become financially stable.  This is a position that, given your recent history, you should feel very fortunate (thanks to your mom and I) for you to be in.  Working will solve another problem you will have, which is excess time that makes it too easy to slide back into drug abuse.
    Finally, you will have to think long term.  What's a career to go after?  Then there's family love, life and a whole host of wonderful decisions that only those in control have the courage to face.
    Trust me son, none of this is rocket scientist stuff.  It's logical, it requires the discipline to say no and the courage of knowing when to say yes.
    Anyway, back to a plan.  Assuming you won't go to jail, you will need a place to stay.  If you want to stay at my house, you can for 3 months.  There will be some rules, which are:

• You will do what you say you will do. You will be home when you say.  No lying, half-truths, game playing, etc.  You have to re-earn your trust.
• You will work a minimum of 40 hours and you will begin to pay back on a regular schedule the money you owe while paying your current bills.
• You will regularly attend NA meetings.  (That's at least 3 meetings a week.)
• You will not use drugs.
• No "friends" over except at times I designate.
• You will buy your own food, wash your own clothes, clean your own room...in general, TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF!!!
• Lights out at midnight during work week, 1A.M. on non work days.

                            Love ya!
                            Dad
 

Letter was composed by Michael Jones just before Tommy returned from Hope Valley