Marsha Stafford started her drinking career at the ripe old age of two. As the child of alcoholics they often gave her alcohol and thought it was funny to watch a drunk toddler. From the ages of 5 to 11, the family lived in a car at a park in Mesa, AZ, and instead of going to school, Marsha was taken to the “babysitter” every day—which was actually the town theater.
When Marsha’s mother abandoned her at a trailer park at age 13, she was taken in by a neighbor family who were, themselves, alcoholics, but at least functional. She ended up in a relationship with her foster brother, and eventually married him.
Along with the good, they went through a lot of bad times together as users, but are still married today and living a happy life together in recovery.
Marsha’s dysfunctional childhood led to an equally dysfunctional early adulthood characterized by addictions, lost opportunities, jail time, and financial disaster. But on the other side of the scale, her recovery has brought her more happiness and peace than she ever imagined possible. She wears a bracelet that says, “Expect Miracles,” and she has definitely seen a few in recent years as she has been able to recover not only from substance abuse, but also from financial ruin as well as relationship and emotional ruin. She now is a licensed private probation officer and also volunteers on a frequent basis, helping others get the help she was so freely given.
“I have a passion for life today that I didn’t know existed. I believe in miracles, in redemption, in people. You can climb mountains and overcome obstacles.”