@Sweetums
![Red heart :heart: ❤](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/joypixels/emoji-assets@5.0/png/64/2764.png)
Congratulations!! You should be very proud of yourself and I wish you much-continued success!!!!
![Cross mark :x: ❌](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/joypixels/emoji-assets@5.0/png/64/274c.png)
![Heavy large circle :o: ⭕](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/joypixels/emoji-assets@5.0/png/64/2b55.png)
![Cross mark :x: ❌](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/joypixels/emoji-assets@5.0/png/64/274c.png)
Also, I want to apologize if my comment about alcoholism being a choice offended anyone. I always blamed my Dad for making the choice to drink which led to him becoming an alcoholic and ultimately the destruction of our family. Many have told me over the years alcoholism is a disease that cannot be helped, it is there long before a person takes that first drink. I personally feel the first drink is a choice, which opens the door.
I also wanted to say in the 25 years my Dad has been gone I have done a lot of soul-searching over his death and how I treated him in the last few years of his life. I even wrote a paper about adult children of alcoholics in college, which I actually got an A on.
![Thumbs up (y) (y)](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
If I could go back I would have done many things so differently, but that is me looking back with the wisdom of a now 57-year-old who now has had so much life experience, not from the point of view of the naive 31-year-old I was when he died.
My son was born 4 years after my Dad died and he has only known my dad thru the many photos and stories I have told him. I have been honest with him about my Dad's alcoholism however that was only one side of my Dad. I made sure my son grew up knowing all the good and positive things my Dad did during his lifetime. It was important that my son never let alcoholism define who my Dad was as a whole, despite myself having done that in the past.
I began taking my son to my Dad's grave when he was a year or so and I would tell him stories about my Dad while there. This became a thing we did on a regular basis. When my son got his driver's license at age 16 one of the first things he did all by himself was drive to the cemetery and spend time "talking" with my Dad. He has done this now for the past 5 years. He goes on Father's Day, my Dad's birthday, the anniversary of my Dad's death, and all the times in between when he wants to feel a connection to his Papa Don, as he calls him. I can't tell you how much I love this and how I wish my Dad were still here to meet his Grandson.
My son is now 21 and he enjoys casual drinking or going out with his dad wine tasting and that's hopefully the extent drinking will ever be for him. Despite my warnings about not going down the road to alcoholism if one day he ends up with a drinking problem you better believe I will be there supporting him every step of the way during recovery.
Sending big hugs and much love out to all of our Tattlers today. I wish I could know you all more than names on a screen. I love the connection we have, how we truly care for one another, I love the snarking on ASSa and Big P, as well as our compassion for Abbie.
Anyway...enough of my babbling! I need to get caught up in here and on the vlogs later this evening and here is something to make this post about ASSa and Big P!!
![Beaming face with smiling eyes :grin: 😁](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/joypixels/emoji-assets@5.0/png/64/1f601.png)
I'm having way too much fun with this!!
![ROFL :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO:](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
![Face with tears of joy :joy: 😂](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/joypixels/emoji-assets@5.0/png/64/1f602.png)
![Face with tears of joy :joy: 😂](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/joypixels/emoji-assets@5.0/png/64/1f602.png)
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