I grew up believing alcohol was how people connected. Every family gathering revolved around drinking long before anybody spoke honestly with one another. Beer coolers were opened before emotions were discussed, and bottles became the mechanism through which people laughed, argued, celebrated, and avoided difficult conversations.
My father drank heavily for most of his life, and alcohol eventually helped destroy his financial well-being and family life. By the time he began trying to get sober near the end of his life, the damage had already spread through every relationship around him. It is good to know that he tried to get sober before his passing, but that sobriety came too late. Watching that happen forced me to understand that many families do not use alcohol to enhance connection. They use it to avoid vulnerability while sitting in the same room together.
