The Fight for Today

"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." - I have seen and read and heard this quote many times. (most recently I hi-jacked it from Jenny's blog - thanks Jen) In the past week, my Dad fell off the wagon (so much for the 90 day AA chip) been told of 2 women my age fighting breast cancer and a little girl in my primary fighting OMS. What is up???? About six years ago I attended a funeral of a lady in my ward. She was bi-polar and her husband was a marriage therapist. She had died from a drug over-dose. Her husband much to my surprise spoke at the funeral. He said that often with people that have brain tumors or similar issues we have come to understand that their ability to exercise good judgement is suspended. He presented that he felt that same suspension in judgement to apply to those suffering with Bi-polar or depression. I would say it even extends to those that are fighting addiction. All of us fight our battles big and small every day, but why do we fight? Do we do it for ourselves? Do we do it for our family and loved ones? I am still realizing that I can not, nor can my kids be reason enough for my Dad to stay sober. He has to do it for himself. But what does that really mean? I am obviously still in thought process on this one. For me it comes down to having really believing in the plan of salvation. Believing my life has a purpose and I will be held accountable for that which I do here. My dad has lived his life in and out of membership and in-activity in the church. I asked him to share his testimony with me last Christmas. He knows God, he believes in Jesus Christ, but at this moment in time it's not enough. Why I don't know. I wonder if it's because years of drug and alcohol abuse have impaired that reasoning that says make a better choice for yourself, make a better choice for your family, choose to fight the addiction. The addiction is so strong and I think it infiltrates on more than just an obvious level. I watched one of my darling work associates walk into work with her little boy. She is single and back in the dating scene because her husband became addicted to pornography. I thought that guy must be nutso, look at that darling girl and his darling son. Some new guy is going to walk off her and that cute boy because he chose his addiction over them. It make no sense at all. I pray my Dad will fight this battle daily and win. I tease him he is the energizer bunny that keeps going and going; that clearly there must be something here in this life he still needs to learn and accomplish.