We'
re going out tonight to Outback and I'm really excited!! Every year we celebrate the day my father stopped drinking. My father is a recovering alcoholic. He drank for most of my childhood, ages 10-22, and while he was never violent or anything, he was not particularly active in my life. He did just enough to get by but never fully participated in anything related to me.
Ten years ago on Oct. 19, my father left me a message while I was at class (it was before cell phones and I was in college) to say that he'd had enough and he wanted me to drive him to the hospital. Late that night, my aunt, my grandmother, and I drove my sobbing father to a rehabilitation clinic at a local hospital and left him there for a 3-week inpatient treatment.
He has been sober since.
So every year, we celebrate with a dinner. I usually cook and bake his favorite cake (oatmeal cake with broiled coconut frosting--I hate it but he loves it!). But this year, we decided to take him out so we'
re treating him to Outback. He never goes out to sit-down restaurants so this will be a nice change of pace for him...and for
us!
I'm so glad my children will never know him as he was when I was growing up. They'll always know him how he is now--and I'm so grateful for that.
Celebration Dinner 
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