Watching a friend spiral
Watching a friend spiral
Yesterday I went to the beach and met up with an old friend who happened to be the exact same person that bought me my first bottle of MD 20/20 when I was 16.
Twenty five years ago, we were in Florida, on the beach ironically, and that night, I drank that bottle in a matter of seconds. The sickness that ensued as a result lasted 3 days.
While talking yesterday, I noticed how she had aged so much in just a year. She has ten year old triplets so I assumed life was simply taking its toll. Triplets pretty much gets you a pass on any aging perceptions that society deems appropriate. But I remembered seeing her just last year and she looked - fabulous. Stunning. Vibrant, alive, whole.
Then her husband brought her a drink from the bar. And it was clearly not water. She sheepishly smiled and said, "Mommys Lemonade. Want some ?"
I looked at my watch, smiled and said "Noon is a little too early for this momma"
It didn't even phase her. She told me her husband doesn't drink either because he has "issues". I thought , well if that ain't the pot..
I watched her drink another martini, pack her kids up, and get in the car. Granted she lives close, but I gulped and swallowed hard as they proceeded to leave.
There but for the grace.
Twenty five years ago, we were in Florida, on the beach ironically, and that night, I drank that bottle in a matter of seconds. The sickness that ensued as a result lasted 3 days.
While talking yesterday, I noticed how she had aged so much in just a year. She has ten year old triplets so I assumed life was simply taking its toll. Triplets pretty much gets you a pass on any aging perceptions that society deems appropriate. But I remembered seeing her just last year and she looked - fabulous. Stunning. Vibrant, alive, whole.
Then her husband brought her a drink from the bar. And it was clearly not water. She sheepishly smiled and said, "Mommys Lemonade. Want some ?"
I looked at my watch, smiled and said "Noon is a little too early for this momma"
It didn't even phase her. She told me her husband doesn't drink either because he has "issues". I thought , well if that ain't the pot..
I watched her drink another martini, pack her kids up, and get in the car. Granted she lives close, but I gulped and swallowed hard as they proceeded to leave.
There but for the grace.
I'm so sorry to hear about your friend and that her husband actually bought her a drink seems like some powerful enabling to me. If she really is driving drunk, and you witness this, I hope that you will not hesitate to call the police. Those poor children!
Prayers for her and her family as well as for you! I get how hard it is to see someone you love be so very self-destructive and be so apparently blind to it.
Prayers for her and her family as well as for you! I get how hard it is to see someone you love be so very self-destructive and be so apparently blind to it.
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Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: San Mateo, Ca
Posts: 52
I think often of one of the kids I knew growing up.
Sweetest person in the world, nice guy, not so smart.
We used to say that he had a heart of gold, but a brain of wood.
He did everything we all did back in those days, but never could get away from drinking and using. I tried to drag him into recovery after I had gotten clean, but he didn't see he was addicted.
Eventually he was on the street, his mom had turned her back on him, and he died from a cerebral hemorrhage as a result of being punched by some unknown person.
He's one of the reasons I have to either put on my war face or cry when I hear "the needle and the damage done."
Sweetest person in the world, nice guy, not so smart.
We used to say that he had a heart of gold, but a brain of wood.
He did everything we all did back in those days, but never could get away from drinking and using. I tried to drag him into recovery after I had gotten clean, but he didn't see he was addicted.
Eventually he was on the street, his mom had turned her back on him, and he died from a cerebral hemorrhage as a result of being punched by some unknown person.
He's one of the reasons I have to either put on my war face or cry when I hear "the needle and the damage done."
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