The Dollhouse

In my first year of sobriety, when I'd put together six months or so, Christmas came with all of its rituals, music, and decorations. This was always a time that stirred up deep emotions for me. The lighted tree in our living room was to me an object of great beauty and wonder. The music alone was a world of angels and peace. When I was a child, Christmas was one of the few times when my alcoholic father spent time with the family. This was also the season that I picked up my first drink when I was ten or so. Though my mother rarely consumed alcohol, she would buy ceremonial wine for religious holidays. I'll never forget the taste of that wine, sweet and burning as it went down.