Hello! I'm Carroll, a recovering alcoholic.

On August 22, I will have two years of peace, serenity, and thank God, there is still hope for an even better future. Our oldest son hasn't been in the family picture for twenty-five years now, and if anything, he owes us some amends. But my job is not to take his inventory. His departure happened long before my alcoholism, so it was not related to that. I have chosen to let go of him and give him to God to take care of. Our daughter went to Oklahoma to marry some twenty years ago and she too never saw the alcoholism. Not so the case with our youngest son. He left just two years ago, and was around during the onset and part of my worst drinking. Although he had moved out of the house with his family, he could see that I was out of control when he visited. He spoke to me of "it" often, but like most of us ... denial, denial, and more denial. There are amends to be made to this young man for a lot of things, and as hard as I have tried, he refuses my attempts. So after several of these attempts, heartache after heartache, I wrote a very long and a very detailed letter to him. In this letter, I turned my self inside-out to him. It was a great release for me. Then I went outdoors and into my "Serenity Area." I set fire to that very long letter, and prayed to my Higher Power to accept the ashes and the smoke that blew His way and do with them as He saw fit. I was letting go of them and they were now His. I have never felt freer of anything in my life, other than the day I gave my will and my life over to Him, the Higher Power in my life.