The visitor

 I grew up in Vancouver, British Columbia in the 1950s with two loving parents and a special needs brother who was five years younger than me. My home life was contented and enjoyable, although often times stressful with the health concerns of my brother. We actually lived in a basement suite in my grandparents’ house and, although my mother yearned for her own house, the dream was not realized until I was 14 years old. As a child I spent a lot of time with my grandfather, partially because he was home all day and my dad was at work. My grandparents did not drink at all and my parents were very moderate in their own intake, so I had no understanding of the dangers of alcohol. We did not attend organized church services, but my parents and grandparents talked about being spiritual, which I did not understand until I joined AA.