Every family has it's quirks... and mine is no exception. I used to joke with my dad that our family put the "fun" in "dysFUNctional"... but it was merely a ruse. He... in turn... liked to recount the time when I was a younger teenager, and I was bemoaning the fact that "between heredity and environment... I was screwed." He found it amusing, fortunately... but we both knew that truth is usually veiled in humor.
My family's particular curse happens to be addictions. We have 5 generations (on both sides of the family)... where the men especially, happen to be prone to alcoholism... but there is also drug addiction and smoking and such... as well.
Anyone who has every been around an alcoholic... will understand what I mean when I say... it's not easy.
Today was a family get-together, and while I certainly enjoyed the company and the great food... the scenery and the conversations... it seems like my family can't have a get-together without a little drama. And so it was with great disappointment that I had to take one family member home because of an issue... and check in with another because of the same...
My father was a complex man. He certainly was no angel... and he certainly had his struggles with alcohol in his younger years. But he quit drinking the summer I went away to Germany... and he was definately a better person because of it. I remember his not so pleasant days... but I also remember how he worked hard to change. It was a very profound lesson to me... that we can all grow and change...we can all strive to be better people.... no matter our age, heredity, environment... or past.
Today was a family get-together, and while I certainly enjoyed the company and the great food... the scenery and the conversations... it seems like my family can't have a get-together without a little drama. And so it was with great disappointment that I had to take one family member home because of an issue... and check in with another because of the same...
My father was a complex man. He certainly was no angel... and he certainly had his struggles with alcohol in his younger years. But he quit drinking the summer I went away to Germany... and he was definately a better person because of it. I remember his not so pleasant days... but I also remember how he worked hard to change. It was a very profound lesson to me... that we can all grow and change...we can all strive to be better people.... no matter our age, heredity, environment... or past.
... and it made me admire him all the more... to know that he wasn't perfect... but that he was trying hard to be the best person he could be...with no excuses... and no exceptions...
Oh... and by the way... we had clams, and they were excellent!
I highly recommend steamed clams with just a little melted butter on top... YUM.
*photos by Elaine A. Russell