As parents of an addict, or as an addict for that matter, the simple pleasures of life can be lost in the haze of our fear and trembling as we rush from stone to stone in search of a solution.

Pleasure is an attitude toward one’s being that should be nurtured. An attitude commonly referred to as joie de vivre, or the joy of life.

One cliché defined joie de vivre in these words:

“Work like you don’t need money Sing like you’re in the shower Love like you’ve never been hurt And dance like no one is watching.”

That’s certainly joy. That is certainly being in the moment and drinking of life’s most honest pleasures. Thomas Wolfe put it this way: “joie de vivre is not a desire to escape life, but to prevent life from escaping you.”