I Have Become A Liar!

I can look anyone straight in the eye….. without even a twitch …..and tell them “I’m FINE”
 ......even though I'm far from fine.
 I'm terrified!

............Do people ever recover from addictions?????

 My neighbors, friends and family don’t even know that I have addicts in my family and that my husband has moved out.
.

 How could they know?
I look fine. 

They trust me.

They shouldn’t-----I’ve become a liar. ----I have to hide my "secrets".

My Christmas cards will go out in the mail tomorrow. They are picture perfect. My husband and I have our arms around each other and our kids are linked with us. We are ALL smiles. The annual write-up will give our loved ones a warm cozy feeling and a couple of laughs. I wish that I could tell everyone the real story of how we are doing.

I received a very memorable and honest Christmas card a few years ago from a friend who decided to let her loved ones know their real story.
 Here are some excerpts:

“Do you ever get those yearly Christmas letters that depress you because everything is so perfect?....it can make you feel very small….Well, this will be one Christmas letter that will not make you feel small!  Our …children are causing us grief. [Our daughter] is a single mom…..she has been living apart from her husband for about two years and just told us she is pregnant again. [Our other daughter] lives with her boyfriend…..He is from Chile…….[Our son] and his wife haven’t had a harmonious relationship with us for the last couple years….As you can see, our family is not likely to be featured in the Ensign. We are disappointed that we don’t have the ideal Mormon family, but that’s just the way it is right now……We personally rely on the Savior’s Atonement to heal and cleanse us and know that eventually He can heal our children and all of God’s children. ….That is our Christmas message to you.”

That is my Christmas message too:

 I KNOW that our Savior loves each of us and can heal us all--I TRUST His plan!

Next year I hope my life will be in a better place….but if not…maybe I’ll send out a Christmas card with the real story too.............nah...probably not. :)

-Daisy