08/31/2026
Today, Marion County goes purple.
Today is Overdose Awareness Day, and more than anything, I hope today makes someone stop for just a second and see this differently.
Overdose is not just about addiction. It is about people. It is about families. It is about grief that changes a home forever. It is about a mother who still reaches for her child in her thoughts. A child who grows up missing a parent. A friend who still hears their laugh. A family that would give anything for one more ordinary day.
It is also about the person who is still here. The person struggling. The person in recovery. The person who may be ashamed, scared, tired, or convinced that nobody sees anything in them worth saving.
If you have ever looked at someone struggling with addiction and thought, “They did this to themselves,” I hope today softens that thought just a little.
You do not have to agree with every choice someone has made to care whether they live. You do not have to understand their whole story to treat them like a human being. You do not have to approve of their decisions to be the person who offers compassion, carries Narcan, makes the call, gives the ride, checks in, or says, “I’ll help you when you’re ready.”
And we have to be advocates. More people are becoming addicted every day, and if we want to see change, we have to be willing to help create it. We have to break the stigma, bring this conversation into the light, and stop treating addiction like something that should only be whispered about.
Recovery is possible. People do get better. Families do heal. Lives can change.
But change takes all of us.
Sometimes one person believing there is still hope is enough to help someone believe it too. Sometimes one conversation can change a perspective. Sometimes one act of compassion can be the beginning of someone asking for help.
So today, wear purple. Light something purple. Decorate your business. Put on a ribbon. Paint your nails. Share a photo. Let Marion County see purple everywhere.
But more importantly, let the purple mean something.
Let it mean we remember the people who are gone. We stand with the people who miss them. We support the people fighting to recover. We care about the people who are still struggling. And we are willing to be part of the change!
