Title: Vision of Hope: Rebuilding a Life Destroyed by Drugs and Alcohol
Author: Leilani Faber
Publisher: Urlink Print & Media, LLC
ISBN: 978-1684865048
Pages: 118
Genre: Memoirs
Reviewed by: Rae Capri
Hollywood Book Reviews
Kailani Faber faced a world of limitations, restrictions, and seclusion because she chose to get involved in drugs at one point in her life. Unfortunately, it took an emergency and a rude awakening to realize her choices come with severe consequences. It placed her young children and her partner, Mark, in great danger by playing chemist and creating a meth lab at home, which led to a mega house fire. As her punishment, she spent sometime in Green County Jail, giving her time to reevaluate her entire life. The experience of being cut off from society, without being able to see her children or loved ones, put things into perspective for Kailani. At this moment, she began to embrace a spiritual journey because the potential outcome was not working in her favor due to a $500,000 bond, 14 counted felonies, and a possible murder charge over her head. Usually, the best route approach is to go back to your faith during a trial of sorts occurring in your life.
During her time in jail, she reinvented herself by remaining positive, reciting prayers under her breath and singing hymns, writing prayers to share with her fellow inmates who needed spiritual assistance, and reading the Bible from cover to cover. On her road to recovery and with all the time she had in prison, she reverted to her gifted talent in writing. Through writing, she creatively expressed her emotions and sent letters to her children and loved ones, which gave her a sense of connection to the outside world. Despite this rough patch and “rock bottom” she experienced, her soul kept thriving and getting brighter. You can observe someone who handled their misfortunes and turned them into learning life lessons. Dealing with so much in life can mold a person into becoming a better version of themselves, and that is what Kailani did.
Remembering all the pain, toxicity, negativity, and trauma she caused for her children was the ultimate rude awakening because she took responsibility for disrupting their childhood. For a former drug addict and alcoholic, she has been doing her best to make amends for all the pain she delivered to her children. Sometimes, the wake-up call is one you would least expect, and one could be glad to know it took time for her to realize it. Unfortunately, her world had to crumble before taking the reins to keep herself from spiraling further out of control. Hope was the keyword in her lifetime of abundance as life slowly improved for her. Inspiration had set in, and Kailani decided to enroll in school because it was one way to start her life for the better. Finding a home for her, Mark, her son, and her dog, was yet another accomplishment. A crucial task of finding and maintaining employment was necessary to fulfill to gain custody of her daughter. There were some resentments and regrets Kailani had experienced because things got worse before they got better. Improvements in her life consisted of a long journey of sobriety and prayer, which contributed to her healing and coping in this new life of experiences. At this time, she felt ashamed because she is a mother without her daughter, leading her to a bit of a spiral, though she prevailed. Walking about and seeing people as passersby, or mothers with their daughters added to the constant reminder of her failures as a parent. But, this was the rough road she had to endure to heal from her past discretions and bring a sense of clarity of lessons well-learned.
Fast forward, things began to change in her life, and the lessons she considered as gifts which shaped her life into overall improvement. As quoted, “the best revenge is a life well-lived,” as to which she began living the life she meant to live. The opportunity of becoming a substance abuse counselor at Ozark Correctional Center, proved to be her calling. She was able to take her past experiences and turn them into encouraging testimony for others, including women going through a tough time in their lives. Developing classes as a facilitator and teacher has allowed Kailani opportunities to convert her past life as example propellers in moving her students forward in achieving living intentionally. Now that she has taken her knowledge and skills of creating curriculums, she can proudly step into her improved life. As the owner of Vision of Hope consulting business, she is fulfilling her life’s true purpose while living within an abundance of blessings led by her strong faith.
It was a pleasant reading experience learning about a woman who hit her rock bottom to soar as a phoenix into the life she deserves. Everything happens for a reason, making it the major takeaway from this woman’s journey. I highly recommend this book for everyone experiencing their version of rough patches to encourage them and inspire them to know there is a light at the end of the tunnel.