A Mother’s Day tea for the struggling, strong and recovering women in treatment
Inside Healing Transitions, the women all gathered for tea and macaroons Saturday, some of them celebrating six months of sobriety, some back for a fresh battle with old demons — all of them mothers missing little ones, happy for another chance.
They ate fudge in the big dining room while they shared stories of who endured the longest labor, who had the most grandchildren, and after they opened their Mother’s Day cards, they joined hands in a circle.
“Some of us don’t have mothers that are here any more,” said Lela Brantley, leading the prayer. “Some of us have children that we’ve lost. We all are here for a reason, and we’re all mothers, and we’re all just thankful so much for the gift of life.”
Then she offered this warning to her friends in recovery:
“If you got candy, you better get rid of if before Monday. If your room gets searched, it’s on you.”
Really struggling
A 40-year-old mother of three, Brantley checked in to Healing Transitions six months ago after a relapse with alcohol addiction that has spanned more than a decade. This time, her family insisted she tackle the treatment alone.
She organized the Mother’s Day tea along with Jill Hurt, whose alcohol addiction spiraled so far out of control at 43 that she nearly suffered a seizure and feared she might lose her two children. Healing Transitions took her in without insurance or questions.
“I was just doing extremes,” she said. “I was trying to work. I was trying to get my daughter to cheerleading practice. I was taking care of everyone except myself. I was too proud and too scared to say I was really struggling.”
But on Saturday, these two mothers invited two dozen more for an afternoon to celebrate together, no matter how severely addiction has strained those bonds.
“I think Mother’s Day is a day that people were dreading,” she said, noting she will celebrate her son’s 7th birthday next week. “People come in here so broken. A few people lost kids 10 years ago.I think we put ourselves down because of our circumstances. I wanted this to be the opposite of that. God made them mothers. Holidays are hard when you’re in treatment.”
It’s not been easy
On Saturday, Jill Hurt’s daughter Allana made her first visit inside Healing Transitions, having only been to the parking lot before. She and her younger sister Addison, 9, will stay overnight in a room designed for family visits, where Hurt can cook them dinner and they can watch Netflix movies together.
“It’s not been easy,” said Allana, 15. ”It’s just not the same to not have your mother available all the time. The phone calls are once a day and the visits are useful. When stuff happens, I want my mom and I can’t always have her.”
The warm setting inside surprised her.
“It’s more like everyone is close and everyone is friends,” she said, “and I didn’t expect it to be like that.”
‘Every Day I Get Better’
Both Brantley and Hurt want to earn their “silver chip” for recovery, which takes more than a year. Brantley works in the kitchen, cooking for 150 women six nights a week, and Hurt tends to the landscaping work, aided by master gardeners from NC State University.
“Every day I get better,” she said. “I start being myself again. I wanted my children to see it’s OK to ask for help.”
Back at the tea party, Brantley called out motherhood-related trivia questions while the women sipped tea and nibbled fudge.
True or false: Babies can cry in the womb?
(True)
Are more more telephone calls made on Mother’s Day or Christmas?
(Mother’s Day)
How old was the oldest mother to ever give birth?
(74)
Later on Saturday, the women of Healing Transitions enjoyed a spaghetti dinner.
Brantley had the night off from the kitchen. It was, after all, almost Mother’s Day.
This story was originally published May 11, 2025 at 5:30 AM.