For the parents in here: you're doing the right thing
I want to say something to every parent who's on this journey: your kids notice. They might not say it, but they notice. My 8-year-old said to me last week: "Dad, you're different now. You play with us more." That hit me harder than any craving ever could. I wasn't a "bad" parent when I was drinking. I showed up. I provided. But I was checked out by 7pm every night. Present physically, absent mentally. My kids got the leftover version of me after alcohol took the best parts. Now they get the real me. Tired sometimes, imperfect always, but present. Fully, completely present. If you're doing this for your kids — keep going. They see you. They're proud of you. Even if they can't articulate it yet.
Comments (2)
The 'present physically, absent mentally' line hits hard. That was me for years. Being sober doesn't make you a perfect parent, but it makes you an available one. That matters more than we realize.
I'm crying reading this. My daughter drew a picture of our family last week and I was smiling in it. In her old drawings, I was always on the couch. Kids see everything.