the addict

A while ago, I wrote about the daughter of a couple I know who went to rehab.

When I spoke about her last time, she had been out of rehab for a couple weeks … and, although they didn’t think she was doing drugs, they did know she was drinking vodka.

And they were okay with it.

I talked with her mother today.

She tells me how wonderfully well the daughter is doing. She has gotten her life back on track! She is exercising, eating well and seems focused.

Everything is looking up!

That’s good!

So, as we’re talking, the mother tells me she had been out of town for the last week, so the two kids with their father.

… and, this weekend, he and the kids got drunk on vodka.

My reaction was “Oh no!” … but she immediately cut me off with a “They did so well together! This brought them even closer!”

THREE seriously addictive personalities … who are now getting drunk together.

Different strokes for different folks I suppose.

While my kiddies were home, I opened a quart of beer (it was given to me at Christmas) and Erin and I had a glass. We did not finish the quart!

That was all the alcohol and/or drugs that we shared.

The kids may have been drinking with their friends, but not with their mother.

I acknowledge that I have a bad attitude about drinking and drug use. I was married to an idiot. Our cupboards would be bare, but he always had his beer and his pot. Our rent would not be paid … but he always had a beer in his hand.

His priorities were badly skewed.

I acknowledge that I am probably wrong, but I believe that too much drinking/too many drugs skews people’s priorities.

Everyone’s

… and always.

I think their whole family is at risk.

But, this is not my business … and really does not affect me.

They’ll figure it out.

* * * * *

Lara started her new job in the far north. She just texted me and said that she had been warned to watch for bears when she was walking between buildings.

Great.

I love adding another thing to my list of things not to worry about.

* * * * *

I didn’t sleep well last night. The air was very heavy and still … even with my ceiling fan running. The rapid change from cool to hot always takes a bit of getting used to.

I woke up a bit before 4 a.m. and felt like I was suffocating. It was similar to how I get when I’m really congested from a bad head cold. I got up and walked around a bit – that always seems to help calm me down. I get quite panicky when I feel like that.

Each summer there are usually only a handful of days where I’m terribly uncomfortable and unable to sleep.

One of these years I’ll have to get myself central air.

* * * * *

I’m going to try to start going to bed a bit earlier. It’s easy to do after a night when I only got a few hours of good sleep.

* I WISH YOU WELL! *