I may still be on cruise mode but ….

After arriving back on shore from an Alaskan cruise of 7 days, I’d like to talk about my family. Seventeen of us departed on September 6th for a long awaited family cruise. The ages varied from 76 to 9 and everywhere in between.

Before sobering up this trip would never have happened and if by some strange chance it did? I probably wouldn’t have remembered it.

Hell, who am I kidding?

Before sobering up nobody even wanted to talk to me.

And I sure as heck, didn’t want to talk to them.

Now this isn’t to say we didn’t have our moments of disagreement. But that’s all they were.

Moments.

Not days, or weeks, or months.

No one yelled or screamed. No insults or punches were thrown.

We got on and off the ship, with a grin on our face and love in our hearts.

As the years of recovery add up, a strange phenomenon is occurring in our family.

We enjoy spending time together.

Can you imagine?

What used to be an all out war, has slowly turned in the most precious thing we do.

If you find yourself still struggling with addiction, or you’re new to recovery, just hang in there. Miracles really do happen if you put in the work.

Our time here is limited. Life is so very precious. And you never know if one or more of these seventeen faces will still be around for the next family event.

But I do know this. I hugged each and everyone of them and told them I loved them. Stranger still, I meant every single word.

You know, I used to run from the people in family.

I used to think we were broken beyond repair.

Most certainly, they were the very last people in the world I’d have chosen to go on a cruise with.

So what’s it like now?

Today I’m honestly blessed and proud to call these folks my family. We may not be perfect, but that’s what makes it so interesting.

I really can’t wait to see them again.

For the very first time, finally, oh finally….I do believe, we’re at peace.

And who knows, maybe next time we’ll head for the Caribbean.