The Weekly Package

Web Exclusive: A Letter to My Mother

Years after her mother's death, she was able to reconcile with her through a Ninth Step amends

"When I came into her hospital room, she was sitting up in a chair, smiling at me."

In 1998, my 75-year-old mother was stricken with a rare and aggressive form of bone cancer. Mother had always been a healthy, active individual who met life's challenges courageously. Despite her occasional expressions of concern about my heavy drinking, we were very close, and as soon as we learned the seriousness of her illness, I called my brother in Nebraska, packed my 1.75 liter bottle of scotch (Mother lived in a dry county), and rushed to her side.

Almost immediately, we butted heads. Mother was determined to remain independent despite her terrible pain; I was equally... Login to read more
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