Member-only story
Give Forgiveness!
A dad’s addiction. She told her story to Richard Strachan.
She said:
“My dad was an addict.
He died from an overdose in 2018.
I once got mad at him when his food stamp card was denied, and I had to cover his groceries. It wasn’t about the money.
I gave him a hard time when he broke my glass measuring cup. It wasn’t about the cup.
He commented on a new haircut, and I was enraged because he’d already seen it, and I assumed he was too drunk to remember. It wasn’t about my hair.
I drove him from doctor to doctor, from rehab to rehab, but I was frequently short-tempered. Visibly put out by what he required of me. It wasn’t about the time.
He was homeless for many years.
He used to stand on corners with a sign and ask for whatever money or food people were willing to give.
I loved him, but I was frequently embarrassed by him.
I was mad about my childhood and what bled into my adulthood, and I found any way to take it out on him.
He’s gone now, and I’m not mad at him anymore. I’m angry at how much I let my inability to forgive him affect our relationship.
