The material presented
here is not Al-Anon Conference Approved Literature. It is a method
to exchange
information, ideas, feelings, problems and solutions on a personal
level.
I have not started my own topic on this board in a long, long time, but I wanted to tell you all about my day yesterday.
Sober AH and I took the kids (11,5,1 yo) to a science museum. What a neat day we had. Its a hands on, touch everything kind of place for the kids. There is an art room where my 5 yo and 1 yo could paint to their hearts content. There's a water table where they can build dams and streams and run boats down them. There was an electromagnetic catapult that they use to throw metal washers and bits of pipe into a bucket. Lots of cool stuff.
We went with two other families and had a blast.
And the cool part is that before we went, we were trying to decide if we should save a trip and go shopping after or run some errands in the city. See we live almost 2 hours from there and it is a lot of gas in our old car. Usually we try to combine trips as much as possible to get things done and save gas.
But I knew this would be different. This place was gonna not only wear out the kids, but us as well. So I told hubby no. I said we are not going to have time to go anywhere else, or feel like it by the time we get out of there.
This is huge for me. It is almost a revelation. My thinking about my regular routine is changing again. My iron grip of control is loosening. It felt really good to have a nice day and come home to a roast in the crock pot with time to sit and watch a movie and relax instead of getting home very late with a tired and cranky family.
I know this may sound like a stupid, mundane thing, not some kind of revelation, but for me it was kind of big and I am still absorbing the lesson and change that is occurring.
Things don't get rosey when the drinking stops. There are still all the old stuff to deal with. I still get so irritated with how AH talks to the kids on a daily basis, but I know how he was raised and I try to be patient with him as he struggles to learn to do things differently than his A father did.
But then there are days like yesterday that really make me think about how we have all learned and grown in recovery.
I am really tired today, and maybe not thinking too fast, but wanted to share that.
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~Jen~
"When you come to the edge of all you know you must believe in one of two things... there will be earth on which to stand or you will be given wings." ~Unknown
Jen- WOW, that sounds like a really fun day! It seems you made a good decision about how/when to end the trip and come home, before everyone got overtired and cranky. Sometimes we experience revelation in the smallest things, doesn't have to be big. Thanks for sharing this.
Jen, Growth is growth and it's such a GREAT feeling to know we don't have to do things the same way there are other options!!! Change IS a good thing!!! Congrats in your own recovery!!
Hugs P :)
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Stepping onto a brand-new path is difficult, but not more difficult than remaining in a situation, which is not nurturing to the whole woman.- Maya Angelo
