When I was 13, I called you to ask if I should live with my alcoholic mother. She had told me that if I left my Dad in California, she would stop drinking. She also told me she would stop moving around if I lived with her. You told me very bluntly that alcoholics are selfish and that wasn’t likely to happen.
She didn’t stop drinking and she didn’t stop moving. That didn’t matter to me then, because I had decided to stay with my dad. My father stepped up big time, too. I finished high school without moving to a new state, and I got a scholarship to play college basketball. I’m now the youngest head basketball coach in California – I was hired at the age of 25, and I’m now 27. I would never be where I am today if I hadn’t listened to you.
My mom finally stopped drinking three years ago. I’m proud of her. She did it cold turkey, which probably wasn’t the best way to quit, but it’s worked for her. She moved to California last year, and we have worked to restore our relationship. So, thank you for taking my call that day. I’ve always had a good head on my shoulders, but even so, if I had moved in with her, I might have ended up like my brother who never finished high school or went to college, and only recently got a job he could maintain.
Stevie
I Chose Not to Live with My Alcoholic Mother