A Gift to Joe

I was at the beginning of my second year of sobriety. It was late in October and the leaves were falling. The days were cool and the time of year was inviting nostalgia. My drinking friends were long gone and the holidays were approaching. My family would all be getting together soon. They had stayed away my first sober holiday season. Was it because they were willing to give me the time to adjust? Or were they just uncomfortable with what it would feel like around the new me? Or were they just not yet willing to give up their own liquid holiday fest? I started to feel depressed. However, I was about to get a beautiful gift.