I thought about writing a post last night, but seeing as it WAS Christmas, I was trying to refrain from ranting on such a Holy day...
I LOVE my family - I would die for my family - I would fight for my family - and when I say family I mean more than just my Mom (my Dad passed away five years ago), brothers, sisters, husband, etc. - that includes Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, etc. Apparently, I had enough of "playing nice," and last night was "the straw that broke the camel's back."
Now, let me start by saying I have knowledge of alcoholics/addicts - I have grown up around some, dated some, friended some, and even married one (fortunately for me he is in recovery). I have learned more about the disease over the years and understand the hold it has on some people and the misery it causes. I am no saint, I never claimed to be...I am a Christian and I TRY to be a good one, but I never said I'm perfect. One of my family members has been dating a woman (let's call her Linda) who has KNOWN drug and drinking problems (my family member has some issues of his own) - together they are a mess.
Last night (as the alcohol that was consumed throughout the day took it's full effect), there was an "incident." Linda was complaining that if she wants to give her 19 year old daughter a beer, it's her choice - we were trying to explain that her daughter is underage, supposedly driving, and is under someone else's roof so it's not okay. So, because Linda doesn't like confrontation she wanted to leave, and we wanted to know who was really driving. Linda claimed she was driving and then proceeded to tell me she only had "one glass of wine." I called her on her Bull s*** and said "I saw you chug AT LEAST five beers and two glasses of wine" - that's what I SAW anyway. Then, like most addicts do, she tried to put the blame on someone else, she brought up stuff from the past. The thing is, everyone already knows about my husband and my mistakes, we were (and still are) up front, and it's in the past.
Long story short, Linda, my relative, and Linda's two daughters left...I explained that I was done walking on eggshells with her - I've been playing nice, but I'm done. I apologized for having the conversation in front of everyone (but probably better that I did). Fact is that Linda is POISON, she is not only disrespectful, she is ruining my relative's life! I prayed that they arrive home safely (or get pulled over and put in jail).
They are home safe...I pray my relative really does leave her (like he's said he was going to do many times before), but if he doesn't and she shows up at another family event, I don't have to play nice anymore. I'm not going to be mean either, but why communicate with someone who you just can't understand?