It get's easier he said...

My daughter and I traveled the last few days to visit my family. It was my father's birthday. I saw my brother while there. He's seven years older than I. He is a huge man, and always hugs the life out of me. I used to hate that. I've come to cherish this. My brother and I grew up in the same house....but literally in two different worlds. By the time I was entering adolescence he was moving out into the world on his own.

We had the typical big brother, little brother relationship. He would sit on the couch and yell, "Get me a drink of water!" I would say, "No!" He would say, "I'll give you to three." Then he would start counting. I knew that by the end of his counting I would somehow pay for my lack of forced hospitality. I would typically bring him a glass of water. Wished I had seen the movie "The Color Purple" before I did. His water would have come with some additives!

Oh well, that was then. Time has a way of changing things and that is my prayer these days. I pray for change....live giving....change. I pray for the change that will open up new ways of laughing and enjoying. I pray for change that will have the benefit of the wisdom I have gained in the past few years.

As different as my brother and I are, we are very much alike. I am so proud of him as he lives his 11 year of recovery. Alcohol almost killed him. Alcohol lured him to believe that he could not and would not be loved by God. And then the miracle of change took place.....change that opened his heart and mind to new life......change that gave him wisdom to live one day at a time.

I have learned that you don't have to be a recovering alcoholic to live the wisdom of AA's Big Book. I have learned that you don't have to be a recovering alcoholic to work the 12 steps. I have learned that living one day at a time, though is not easy, is far more preferable. I am not an alcoholic but I need the perspective of one. I am not recovering from an addiction but I need to live as if I am.

So my brother hugged me like he does. Depleting the air in my lungs he looked at me and asked, "How are you?" My answer: "I trying to do this one day at a time thing, but it is hard." "It gets easier bro, it gets easier."