Credit: Soldiers4Faith, Mercy Me
Lyrics: http://www.metrolyrics.com/dear-younger-me-lyrics-mercy-me.html
As an adult children of alcoholic, you may have a lot of regrets.
And, I'll be willing to bet they have much to do with how you grew up!
Depending on where you are in life, what age you are, what stage of your recovery you're in, you probably find it hard to forget the past.
I don't blame you.
Life stinks.
I think of my family. Both parents were deeply wounded. Both decided to self-medicate (alcohol, sometimes drugs) instead of heal. In my opinion, they stalled their healing. And, as someone who has been lucky (I thank God every day) that I was able to get off the amusement park ride, and stop everything-- basically, to heal.
And I wonder if that is what happens with parents who don't heal. Maybe they have children and can't go off into the dark places to think, or to cry. I really think that healing is a life purpose. It requires time, it requires energy, and "brain pain".
It requires sailing far, far away from the shore of our comfort zone.
It is possible to do all that is necessary to fully heal-- change the negative tapes in our heads, surround ourselves with healthy people, learn self-care, and accept that our beliefs may not ever again sync up to the beliefs of our family members. That's a good thing!
In the video above, you'll see a lot of phrases that maybe you tell yourself now or wish you could have told yourself when you were younger. But, that's just it: That's the innocence of youth!
As an adult child of an alcoholic, you were dealt a bad hand.
"Even though I love this crazy life,
sometimes I wish is was a smoother ride."
- From Dear Younger Me, Mercy Me