Christmas spirit

[Brian Ellis]

Many of us will have a bottle of good wine with our Christmas dinner tomorrow, myself included. While we sip it, perhaps we should give a thought about those for whom alcohol is literally a deadly poison. This lady's story is a case in point. So sad!

[TransformX]

It's hard for me to feel much sympathy for people who go ahead and knowingly kill themselves while hurting those who care about them the most.
Mya father had a stroke over a year ago, it was quite a shock to him at first, but a few months later he started smoking again. I'm not going to argue or fight with him about it, I don't live there and any sh1t such arguments might cause will be my mother's to deal with, so it's more than unfair of me to start any. As long as he's alive and relatively well, the better for our family. But lets face it, he's not getting any younger or healthier, especially not while he keeps smoking and not after having a stroke. We're all potentially dead men walking, but he's far ahead us. I feel sorry for my mother, but that's about all I can do about it.

[FatBastard]

OH c'mon Tx, you can never tell when your time is up.
your time or your old man's.
just (in the spirit of Xmas ... ) be thankful everybody is alive and well.

[Helevitia]

Alcoholism is truly a pandemic in our world today. Our colleges here in the US are out of control. It's a known fact that alcoholism is a disease and unfortunately, the story above shows how the disease can take your life, slowly and painfully. It is cunning, baffling and powerful and it effects the whole family, not just the alcoholic.

TX, that guy truly had no control over his death. He has a disease called alcoholism. Once it grips you, it is tough to get out of it. As far as your father is concerned, I feel your pain. My mom has had two "minor" strokes and still occasionally smokes. She has emphysema and has a few other diseases. In order for me to keep my sanity, I have to accept the fact that she is going to live her life the way she wants and I need to give her the dignity and respect to do that. Once I can accept it, then I hold no grudges or resentments and I can enjoy just being with my Mom and remember that she is just a human being like the rest of us.

[FatBastard]

... Once I can accept it, then I hold no grudges or resentments and I can enjoy just being with my Mom and remember that she is just a human being like the rest of us.

Well said man.

Let me tell you guys something. A clean bill of health is a nice thing to have, especially with an elderly parent.
but, as I discovered very recently, it can be completely and utterly meaningless.
some time its just a person's time to go. and once you loose a parent,
you don't care why or how. you just regret every second you missed with them.

so Helevitia has got the right idea.

[Mehen]

Here's some Christmas spirit for you - my buddy's girlfriend of about 2 years just dumped him on Christmas Eve. I'm 75% sure they'll get back together, but still - XMAS EVE!!! Yikes.

[FatBastard]

....... sounds like he can do better........

[Mehen]

My sentiments exactly.

[Brian Ellis]

It's hard for me to feel much sympathy for people who go ahead and knowingly kill themselves while hurting those who care about them the most.
Mya father had a stroke over a year ago, it was quite a shock to him at first, but a few months later he started smoking again. I'm not going to argue or fight with him about it, I don't live there and any sh1t such arguments might cause will be my mother's to deal with, so it's more than unfair of me to start any. As long as he's alive and relatively well, the better for our family. But lets face it, he's not getting any younger or healthier, especially not while he keeps smoking and not after having a stroke. We're all potentially dead men walking, but he's far ahead us. I feel sorry for my mother, but that's about all I can do about it.

I'm surprised that you think only of yourself and your mother, and not of your father. Do you wish to deny him of the pleasure he gets from tobacco, even if it MAY shorten his life? Without medical help, I would have died many, many years ago (some may wish I had!) and I do not live the most healthy life today, but I'm happy as I am. You may think this selfish, but I'd rather be happy with a shorter life than miserable to gain a potential few extra days.

Happy Hannukah!

[TransformX]

I'm surprised that you think only of yourself and your mother, and not of your father. Do you wish to deny him of the pleasure he gets from tobacco, even if it MAY shorten his life? Without medical help, I would have died many, many years ago (some may wish I had!) and I do not live the most healthy life today, but I'm happy as I am. You may think this selfish, but I'd rather be happy with a shorter life than miserable to gain a potential few extra days.

Happy Hannukah!

Hannuka is over thank goodness, clogged the roads on the way home, adding another 40 minutes commuting. Grrrr...
As for denying the pleasure:

• He doesn't enjoy it, it's a 'fix', something he needs. Tried to stop too many times, failing miserably or returning to smoke a short while later.
• It costs, a lot. Assuming he smokes a packet in two days (usually less), this makes for over 20 USD per week.
• It affects his health, adversely ofcourse. He's not the only one suffereing from said effects.
• The rest of the family get to 'enjoy' the 'wonders' of passive smoking, as if the air wasn't polluted enough as it were.
• I am thinking of my father by the way. He lost quite a few years of his life to cigarettes. He did all he could so that none of his children smokes though it proved too hard for him to resist it, maybe having to do with the fact he started smoking when he was ~11 years old. He's going to miss out things which are far more important to him than cigarettes, things that have to do with his grand children. Knowing my father, they mean a LOT to him.

[FatBastard]

[*]I am thinking of my father by the way. He lost quite a few years of his life to cigarettes.[/LIST]

The only think you've forgotten is choosing the right words for an epitaph, or maybe writing the eulogy.

What the hell is wrong wrong with you man ?

[TransformX]

An almost fatal stroke that caused quite a few (some dirty) shockwaves through my family does change ones perspective about certain things.