Interesting Weekend

My sister and I drove down to Eugene, OR to spend family weekend with my Dad in rehab for alcohol. By the way Eugene is not that cool, sorry Ducks. We had classes scheduled all day Saturday and Sunday. We walked into the first class Saturday morning and the room was full of tissue boxes, we were like great what did we get ourselves into. Some of the classes were just with other family members of patients, some were with our Dad and other patients and family. There were very normal people there and people you could tell wasn't there first time at a place like this. It was interesting to hear all the different stories and sad to see the way addiction destroys peoples lives. It really is a disease of the mind, not just lack of will power. There was one person, a really sweet, cute wife/mom that couldn't have been much older than me that was there for her husband. I couldn't help but feel bad for her, to be raising three small children at home by herself, alone. Very sad. He admittedly told her-I make you do a job that would be difficult for two people by yourself. There were a lot of tears, not caused by us, but it was impossible not to tear up hearing some of the stories. There was a mom that was an alcoholic and her teenage-ish daughters and husband were there for family weekend. When they read the letters they wrote to each other in front of the group there wasn't a dry eye in the circle. It's nice that our story is rather uncomplicated, emotional because we still are grieving my mom. But honestly my dad's addiction hasn't really had a negative impact on my life, besides worrying about him. There is no deep seated hurt or anger. We may have been the least complicated situation in the group. Now the feelings I have surrounding my mom, completely different and very complicated, so it's good the weekend wasn't about her. We are so proud of my Dad for putting himself in rehab and happy he is getting the help he needs. He still has a week and half to go before he goes home and we are VERY hopeful that he will be successful.