Honoring Love, Sacrifice, and Legacy

May is a month filled with meaning. It’s a time when we pause to honor the strength of mothers, the courage of those who have served our country, and the legacy of love and sacrifice that surrounds both Mother’s Day and Memorial Day. At Rise Up Recovery, these themes run deep in our work and mission.

Mother’s Day is a time to celebrate the powerful role mothers play in shaping lives, nurturing hope, and fighting for their families. For many in recovery, Mother’s Day can be bittersweet. Some are rebuilding relationships with their children. Others are mourning what substance use disorder once took from them. Some are mothers finding healing and strength to break generational cycles.

We honor:

• Mothers in recovery who are courageously rebuilding their lives and their families.

  
  

• Mothers of those in recovery, whose prayers, support, and love have never wavered.

  
  

• Those grieving—whether mourning a mother, a child, or years lost to substance use.

Proverbs 31:25 says, “She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.” That is the kind of strength we see in the women at Rise Up Recovery—those rising up from pain into purpose, breaking free not just for themselves, but for their families and future generations.

Memorial Day: Honoring Those Who Gave All

As May closes, we observe Memorial Day, a time to remember the brave men and women who gave their lives in service to our nation. Their sacrifice reminds us of the cost of freedom—and the responsibility we carry to honor their legacy.

At Rise Up Recovery, we also recognize that some of our participants are veterans or come from families deeply affected by military service and its aftermath. We see the wounds that are not always visible—trauma, loss, and substance use that sometimes follow those who have served. We are committed to creating space for healing, dignity, and purpose for every individual walking through those battles. This Memorial Day, we also pause to honor and express deep gratitude for Dean Markuson, the generous benefactor who donated our community center, the Semper Fidelis Center. A veteran himself, Dean was passionate about supporting fellow veterans on their journey to healing. His legacy lives on in every life transformed within these walls. Today, the Semper Fidelis Center is filled with hope, connection, and restoration—exactly what Dean envisioned when he gave so selflessly.

John 15:13 says, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” As we remember those who gave all, we commit ourselves again to serve others with that same spirit of selflessness and love.

May invites us to honor the past while investing in the future. Whether by recognizing the love of a mother, remembering the fallen, or supporting someone in recovery—we are all part of a greater story of sacrifice, redemption, and hope.

We invite you to celebrate with us:

• Reach out to a mother in recovery and let her know she’s seen and valued.

  
  

• Pause in gratitude for those who’ve laid down their lives for our freedom.

  
  

• Support someone rebuilding—whether from trauma, loss, or substance use disorder.

From all of us at Rise Up Recovery, we thank you for being a part of this mission. Together, we continue to redeem lives and restore dignity—one step, one story, one life at a time.

With gratitude,

The Rise Up Recovery Team

Redeeming Lives; Restoring Dignity