Light at the end of the tunnel

There is light at the end of the tunnel. Late yesterday before I left work, one of my guys showed up. A little background on him. He has been on probation for 5 years, which he only should have been on for 3, but with all of his screw ups he is still working through it. Last September, after numerous attempts to do outpatient treatment, he showed up to report and was drunk. He of course said he had drank the night before, but his eyes were glazed over. I looked at him and asked him if this is what he wanted. Did he really want to spend the rest of his life drunk and stoned all the time, living with other people, never having anything to show for? I knew he had some anger issues, parents never really supported him and he had a brother who was his partner in crime. I tried to play hard ball with him and tell him if he didn't care I would just go ahead and send him to the pen. I did tell him that day, that I thought it wasn't too late to turn his life around. He put his head down and said I will beat this. I told him I thought he needed treatment. He told me he could do it on his own, if I would just give him a chance. I told him no. If I take a chance on you, it will be with professional help, in a long term facility. Keep in mind, when I say long term, the maximum amount of time allowed because of funding issues is no more than 12 months. 12 months doesn't even begin to get through a third of some of their issues that have them addicted. He got mad at me and left. I went down and talked with the Sheriff who thought it would be a good idea to send him to treatment and get him out of Panhandle. With the support of the Sheriff, I began looking for treatment for this young man. Found him treatment and told him I had found a place for him. He turned himself in and two weeks later was on his way to treatment. Nine months later, he comes into my office. He successfully completed treatment. I wish I would have taken a before and after picture. He looks so healthy. He asked me why people keep saying that to him? I said you don't have sores on you, your eyes are clear and you have weight on. He just smiled from ear to ear. He still has a long road ahead of him for staying sober, but at least he has the groundwork for him to start over. He did ask me what I saw that made me take a chance on him. I said that there was something there that my gut was telling me was saveable. So yea, my job does have a lot of bad days, but the good out weigh the bad so much more. That little feel of victory is what keeps me going.