My mother was an extraordinary woman. She sparkled. She was witty, and smart, and articulate, and she loved and hated with fierce passion. You could walk into a room and listen closely, and hers would be the voice that emerged from a crowd. (And not necessarily in an obnoxious way.) People were drawn to her, and once drawn, they stayed. Even in the later years, as the alcohol problem grew and began to take over her life and personality, people came into her circle and stayed there. She had a warmth and an attraction that are rare among people.
And she threw it all away because of an addiction to alcohol.
Alcohol is a dangerous drug - more dangerous than others because it's supposed to be "okay". It kills people. It kills families. I don't say there ought to be a law ... but there ought to be universal disapproval of people who abuse alcohol, people who drink to drunkenness (or tipsiness, frankly) in front of children - and certainly harsh penalties for every person who tries to drive a car after drinking.
I wish my children could meet her. I wish I understood why she chose it. I wish she had seen herself clearly enough to know that she was something to live for.
1 comment:
This is the farewell I wish your mother could have heard (and understood) while she was still alive. I'll never understand why she threw so much away...but at least she left her extraordinary daughter behind to be my friend and a great mother to all your children (Matthew included).
I'm proud to be your friend.
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