I had been sober about three years when my sister was diagnosed with a brain tumor. We went to Boston to be with her when they did performed surgery to remove it. I was worried for my sister, scared of the outcome, anticipating the worst, and conscious of my own mortality.
I wanted to drink.
Then it dawned on me, my sister who was worried, terrified, facing surgery and outcome of her diagnosis, WHO ACTUALLY HAD THE TUMOR, wasn't drinking over it. But that's how I wanted to cope? How I was going to deal with emotions I wanted to run and hide from? Run to a bottle?
No. I figured if my sister could suffer a tumor sober, I could face it sober too.
And I did.