Description

How do you cope with the immense pain of watching someone you deeply love battle addiction? How can anyone handle the heartache and devastation of losing a loved one, especially when your job requires you to bring laughter and joy to people every day?

Renowned comedian Rickey Smiley has faced these profoundly difficult questions firsthand for years—initially with his father, and later with his own son. Both men struggled deeply with drug addiction, both were tragically lost to overdoses, and both left Rickey feeling broken, exhausted, and grieving.

Though far from fully healed, Rickey has discovered ways to find moments of peace amid overwhelming sorrow. He is learning to carry joy alongside sadness, cherish treasured memories amid current heartbreak, and hold onto hope even through agonizing pain. He describes this challenging and uneven journey as the “sideshow” he must navigate—never easy, never smooth—but moving forward steadily toward hope and healing. Rickey Smiley bravely invites you to join him in this journey.

Walk alongside someone who intimately understands your struggle, who confronts trauma honestly, places trust in therapy, and draws profound strength and solace from faith and Scripture. Rickey’s story will help you:

Feel truly seen and deeply understood, knowing you are not alone.
Effectively process your sadness, relieve your grief, and work through resentment.
Open your pain and vulnerability to God’s healing power and loving strength.
Find ways to take positive steps forward and gradually move closer to peace.

As Rickey Smiley himself says, “This book is for those who feel the profound weight of grief, whom I hope to guide toward the comforting light of God. It is for the millions of families desperately supporting a child, spouse, or sibling struggling to survive addiction, who desperately need reassurance they are not alone. And it is for my own journey toward peace—because when I follow God’s direction to be of service to others, my heart begins to heal.”