August 22, 2008
Alcoholic
They say alcoholism destroys people.
Well, my father has been drinking for as long as I can remember. I remember buying him a Grande (the big San Miguel Beer pale pilsen achuchu, whatever you call it) way back when my arms were just big enough to carry the whole bottle. He drank everyday. And at that very young age I understood that alcohol was able to help him in ways nothing else could. Alcohol is a very big part of me because I was with it everyday. I know how it works, I know how it clouds one’s mind, and I know how it makes its ‘consumers’ want for more. I have seen enough drunk people to last me a lifetime. But believe it or not, I don’t hate alcohol, and one’s addiction to it. Thanks to God Almighty, I understood it.
So much so, that I adore my father even when he is easily not the kind you’d wish for. He did everything he could to make our lives a bit more bearable. ‘Cept when he’s totally wasted, hehe. He had sacrificed more than what others could begin to understand, and he is the most courageous person I know. Oh, well, second to my mom. And I believe that everything happens for a reason. God has his reasons why he gave me an alcoholic for a father. He knew I’d be able to pick up the lesson, and if He is willing, He will not allow for me to make the same mistake. Because even if he is like that, he (and his alcohol) molded me into the brave little thing that I am now.
Alcoholism they say, destroys people. Not just the drinker, but the people around him. I say, its true for those who let it. For only you can destroy your life. And if my father chooses the road with alcohol, its his choice. But I’d be d*mned if I let his choices destroy me. Because no matter how his choices benefit us, at the end of the day, the last thing you want is to not see them happy. If alcohol makes him feel more alive, happy, and fulfilled…then by all means leave him be.
P.S.
Love you pa.
