Hi Pat,
Today's your birthday. Your other birthday, that is. I think. Funny, I always thought of this day but I'd either be a day late or a day early calling. But you did not ever forget. It was huge. This was the day that you decided to stop drinking. This could mark 25 years ago?
It was a proud day. To know that you accomplished something so difficult and you stuck by your decision for the rest of your life. Now, you did have other addictions...like walking every day...and reading books...and drinking water...and whistling...and laughing. Just awful stuff. Oh, and chopping up your salads.
I miss your calls to remind me. Even if I don't need reminding.
I just plain miss you.
Love,
Xochi
You know it was funny, I always forgot that date. It was so special between Pat and his AA buddies and such a gift to me. I accepted that gift and never worried about him taking it back. I reminded him how his life had been so easy and so somehow God had given him a big thing to overcome so he could recognize his strength. Goodness knows I could never have stopped drinking forever like he did. He was always so proud of himself He said that it he made it to 25 years sober he might have a Johnny Walker. Sadly he never got to find out how it would affect him. But I believe he would have been just fine. Stopping drinking is a lot more than not taking a drink. He changed his whole life and attitude and any moment he was tempted he followed it all through. He meant a lot to so many people and I think especially to those he let to sobriety and they became his family too.
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