The Good Years

When my mom and bonus dad got married things were really good for me, it was a different story for my brother. He didn't like the thought of our mom being with another man. He really wanted our parents to stay together. My brother and my dad had a much closer bond than my dad and I had. I was always scared of my dad, that's how he liked it. Anyways, my brother put up a good fight when my mom remarried. It's funny how two kids in the exact same house with the exact same situation handle things completely different. My brother was in total misery while I was in total bliss.

I believe with all my heart that my mom was happy, though she denies it now. She was such a good mom and wife, in fact, I would put her at the top as one of the best. We spent so much time together. My mom was hilarious! She loved pulling pranks on people and she was really good at it. I remember eggs being cracked on heads, cold water dumped on you while you were in the shower, you could never trust a sink sprayer, and sandwiches being wrapped in tampon boxes. We never missed church and my mom never missed an opportunity to teach me right from wrong. Our home full of laughter and happiness.

Things started SLOWLY going down hill. My mom would have a random day that she wouldn't come out of her room or a day that she couldn't smile. She started getting sick all the time but the Doctor's could never quite figure out what was wrong. She became too sick to leave the house. Our house slowly became a place that we tip-toed around so that we were sure not to disturb her.

My bonus dad took on my moms duties around the house. He did the cooking, grocery shopping, and cleaning. Mom stayed in her room. We lived a pretty normal life, all the while mom was locked up in her room. Sometimes I wouldn't see her for weeks. Then it happened.  I came home from school to discover the police had been at our house. My mom had been stealing prescription pads from the Doctor's office and writing her own prescriptions for pain medicine. She got caught and was in big trouble. I couldn't believe she had been doing that but I wasn't totally shocked either. Thus, the beginning of a slippery slope called drug addition.   

My favorite picture of me and my brother