Another sober evening with my son and it almost takes my breath away to think of the days I spent in a drunken stupor with him. I don't dwell on it though. I try to do the right thing, best I can, with what I have now. In the last year and a half, he's already grown to trust me like he should be able to. I do not take that for granted.
I think for those of us drunks who are parents, we can have both the most tragic impact on those around us with our drinking, and yet we also have the most precious leverage to push us to get sober. The pain we cause can sometimes cause us to get stuck, the regret can drive us back to the drink. But then we can also come to finally embrace our obligations and responsibilities to our children and put away the drink for them, for good.