I ate too much at supper tonight.  I know why I do and as I ponder just how transparent I want to be I think I need to explain some things.  I don’t at any point want this to sound as if I’m blaming people or putting them down.  There are some family aspects that come up, but let me make it very clear that I had a wonderful Godly family.  I think in some ways most of us are victims of addictions.  It happens and we need God’s grace to get through it.

My dad’s father was an alcoholic when my dad was young.  Dad only told me a couple of his childhood stories and they were all very sad.  Now by the time I came along, I never saw my Papa Tom take a drink.  He was a good grandfather.  A quiet man, but good to me.  I don’t know what he went through to make him turn to alcohol.  I’m sure in some regard he was a victim of some abuse/addiction.  Nevertheless, there are books after books written about the effects of a child of the addict.  One “symptom” is that we paint the perfect picture of our home life on the outside.  Things may be crumbling on the inside, but outside we are beautiful.  In some twisted way, there are things said that are said out of love, but come across horrific.

All that back ground is to say that anything I say that may sound disparaging against my family, I don’t mean it that way. Most of them are good people who love(d) God, are generous, loving, kind people.  Sometimes we just have to do the best we can with what we’ve been given.   I hope  you are as thankful for forgiveness, mercy and grace as I am.  I’m in desperate need of them.  I will publish my thoughts tomorrow.