You May Try to Play God

YOU couldn't help liking him--quiet, shy, neatly dressed, eager to be helpful, and so, so anxious to maintain his sobriety. That was during the months he was sober--but every so often his deeply rooted, fundamental problem once again swept over him, and off he would go. We knew his periods of uncontrolled drinking were merely symptomatic of that fierce trouble he still could not face--we thought we understood--and we sympathized, anxiously and sincerely and far, far too much for our own good.