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5 Years Sober
January 29, 2016
it was her anniversary
a cold January evening
my aunt was about to speak
to open up to the crowd
about the struggles she had faced
to talk about her alcoholism, aloud.
her words, unforgiving and raw
touched each heart deeply
there, she was more than
the hopeless partier that everyone saw.
liquid pride welled up in my grandmother’s eyes
i grasped her hand
felt the years of love and grief
I caught a glimpse of her true pain,
however brief
my aunt’s voice never quivered
her closing words
left us with
a shiver.
© Sarah M., Blairsville, PA
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There, I watched my aunt become more than the woman I heard nasty whispers about at family gatherings. There, she became more than the frail unstable woman who relied on alcohol and pretty little pills to get through her days. There, I held my grandmother's usually strong and powerful hand and found myself being the one who had to hold on to her. It was an incredible eye-opening experience to hear my aunt speak about her journey through sobriety and personal addiction. She is the bravest person I know.