Thank you for such a succinct summary of your family’s various involvements in close relationships with loved ones & addiction. You’re correct, addiction plays out within families more commonly than one would suspect – mine included.
I do remember that portrait quilt…such a beautiful child. The love you felt for her came shining through – obvious even to one such as myself who didn’t know the intense ‘back story’. ❤️

One of the most painful aspects of addiction is the effects on children. You may remember the portrait quilt that I made of my niece a few years ago. She had committed suicide at age 14. She was the daughter of my recently passed sister. In her short life, she was already headed down the same path.

Unfortunately, what my family has experienced is so commonly repeated in various forms in other families. Even within my own family as I had a brother-in-law with a drug addiction, which also led to criminal activity and eventually a drug overdose. Addiction is real, and addiction is dangerous! Addiction involves the entire family. Addiction is painful in so many ways. I wish I had the solution but it is far beyond me.

Laura, this snippet of your life gave me goosebumps…Thank you for your honesty and experiential affirmation of the addiction dynamic within a family. hugs.

This really strikes a chord (several actually) with me as I, and my surviving sisters, struggle with the recent losses of our Mom and a sister. That sister was an alcoholic with the most beautiful smile that you have ever seen. She was also very destructive to herself and everyone around her. Mom sacrificed above and beyond for this sister and suffered much. All of us have paid dearly, financially and emotionally, because of one sister’s addiction. That addiction led to criminal behavior and a horrible, untimely death. It has been a very long and stressful road. There is not always a happy ending. Having said that, I can gratefully say that the remaining sisters (four of us) have been pulled together as opposed to being torn apart. And that is a happy ending.

Thanks, Andy! Isn’t it the truth, and a lovely one, that we’re all works in progress.

Spot on, Andy!

Thanks for stopping by JT. It’s a great book!