Demi Lovato

Demi Lovato.

I have never met her.

I've never seen her in person.

I've never owned a Demi Lovato album.

But, I get Demi Lovato.

Sunday night, she represented the United States of America and sang the National Anthem.

It was flawless, in my opinion.

Powerful. Fierce. Beautiful. 

I felt it in my soul.

I also felt such a tremendous belief in her in that moment.

I think that most people have heard on the news, or read in the tabloids, that Demi is an addict.

So am I.

Although addicted to different things, I often feel that addicts have the ability to really get each other...

To really be able to fully root for the rise of each other.

Demi almost died from her addiction.

In fact, she had been clean and sober for six YEARS when she overdosed on drugs.

She was doing the right things.

She was fighting like a warrior, and she fell down.

In the deep end of addiction.

I think I love her more now.

After she fell into the deep end.

See, the international press could care less about me and my addiction.

There aren't cameras in my face and journalists calling to get the first interviews after recovery.

I don't have people around me who are eager to earn a buck by selling my story!

This girl didn't just relapse into her addiction.

She didn't just almost die from that relapse.

She did so in front of the world.

And then...

And then she stood back up.

She continued on with her recovery.

She discontinued association with people who were not good for her.

And, she did so in front of the world.

I can't imagine how hard...

How scary...

How humiliating...

How horrendous that must have been for her...

And she did it.

She rose up again.

The way each of us can.

We rise up.

All of us do.

Or at least, we can.

Root for each other's rise.

Even if you don't agree with, or understand their addiction--

Root for their rise.

Do it from a distance, if you must.

But root.

Loudly.

Demi,

You rose up.

I see you. 

I hear you.

I will continue to root for your rise.