You need to find someone who knows you and your skills and your goals. Then make sure he or she can write clearly and well (and tersely). He can explain the extenuating circumstances.
Plenty of adults go back to school after a gap decade or two. If you can do the work, your maturity and discipline will go a long way.
I just wrote an Academic rec. for a teen-ager who did odd jobs for me. He was home-schooled so I was it. He go into a very competitive Early Decision program at the college of his choice. (Of course, my letter was a small part of the package he presented).