After we received torrents of rain in just three days, we watched the flood waters approach our home. The closer the water came to our doorstep, the more fearful and frustrated we became. Looking out the window as the rain continued to fall, I felt as though each individual drop hit me right in the heart. At that point, I had been in Al-Anon for about two years.

As the water started creeping into our house, we fought back as fast as possible. We stuffed towels under the doors to soak up what rainwater we could. At some point while my wife and I tried to control the uncontrollable, we happened to look at each other. Our awareness and acceptance of the powerlessness we experienced in this situation hit us at the same time. We pulled up chairs, sat down facing each other, propped our feet on each other’s chair, and watched the water in our home continue to rise.

As I sat there, I saw the similarities between trying to fight the slow progression of the flood in our house and dealing with active alcoholism. My feelings about the slow progression of alcoholism invading our spiritual and emotional lives resembled the way I felt watching the flood waters overrun our house.

Instead of rainfall and rising water levels causing heartache, it was the falling levels of whisky in bottles that hurt me. Every drop my wife drank hit me in my heart. Just as I tried to control the water as it invaded our house, I tried with all my might to fight the alcoholism that was destroying my family. Until I found Al-Anon, I did not know that fighting alcoholism was an exercise in futility.

Sitting in my home that day, I thought about how much someone caught in a flooding whirlpool is like a person living with active alcoholism. Without the help of Al-Anon, I would have continued spinning in circles while alcoholism sucked me down into that emotional and spiritual spiral.

Because Al-Anon members shared their experience, strength, and hope with me, I gained the courage and wisdom necessary to do things differently. I still find myself going in circles from time to time, but eventually I move in a positive direction—now that I have Al-Anon.

By Jerry P., Texas
The Forum, October 2004

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