The year was 1985 and I had come home at 6 am after one of my all nighters of drinking and drugging. My wife stood at the top of the stairs a suitcase next to her. I looked up with bleary eyes and asked, you leaving me? She replied, no you have to options today you will either get help or get out. She had enough and wasn’t going to live like this anymore.
We were only married five years and had just purchased a new home a few yrs back. My son was two yrs old when I entered rehab a 33 day in -house program at Seabrook house in Seabrook NJ. To be honest I knew I had a drinking a drug problem but never wanted to admit it. Seabrook house took care of that. As they say in the program you may drink and drug again but it will never be the same. Truer words were never spoken.
Ive been clean and sober now for 40 yrs. Hard to believe looking back. AA changed my life and if it wasn’t for my wife taking a stand all those years ago I am quite sure I would not have survived it. Today, I am a successful business man who has raised with my loving wife of 47 yrs to well adjusted sons. Each of which never had a drinking or drug problem because we educated them on the evil that can befall them. They knew their dad was recovering and why. We never allowed any alcohol or drugs in our home and still don’t.
There were slips in the beginning for sure but eventually I came to understand the only path forward had to be free of substances if I wanted my wife and family. My wife and I both went through several years of counseling having both been raised in dysfunctional home. There was a lot of wreckage to clear away before we could begin anew. But begin anew we did and the path has been beautiful and filled with love, respect and understanding . A life with living and enjoying.
To all reading this know this. There is a path forward and your life can be so much more than it is today if you follow the program one day at a time and have faith in something greater than yourself! And don’t ever stop trying most stumble when starting the key is get back to a meeting and put one foot in front of the other and you will come out whole.
Bruce J
INFO@CHILLIWACKALANOCLUB.COM
