TOTALLY TRUE

The Reluctant Al-Anoner

I have a few complaints . . .

Image by DC Studio on Freepik

I try to say it quietly so as not to offend:

“Dog, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change.”

I mentally erase the picture of a judgy, white, bearded man on a cloud and substitute it with one of my dog. Perhaps, if anyone hears, they will put it down to dyslexia.

Look at the wisdom in those eyes. Photo by author.

I do this because I can’t bring myself to say the word “God” out loud without cringing. For me, it is too tied up with the church, patriarchy, hypocrisy, and sanctimony. It’s a big problem.

My parents were alcoholics, I’ve fallen in love with countless alcoholics, and now my son is an alcoholic.

After spending £18K on rehab for him, I got worried about my part in his dis-ease. Dog walks helped. But not enough.

So, four months ago, I reluctantly decided to try and get past my God issue and set off for my first Al-Anon meeting. Al-Anon is a worldwide organization that helps the friends and families of alcoholics.