The Function Of Freedom

"The function of freedom is to free somebody else." - Toni Morrison, Pulitzer Prize- and Nobel Prize-winning writer

There are many freedoms that I've taken for granted over the years. The freedom of choice is my most precious freedom today. That was one freedom I took for granted until I found I had lost it. It was a tough lesson to learn but I'm grateful it happened.

Years ago, when I was a young mother with two small children, I found myself drinking in the evenings, after a long hard day at work and at home. I felt I was entitled to a "couple" of drinks to help me relax because I was working so hard to keep things together as a single parent. Well, somewhere along the line, I began to depend on those drinks each evening. Gradually my intake of alcohol increased and somewhere along the line I lost my ability to stay away from it. My life got worse, it went into a downward spiral, and I couldn't quit drinking, no matter how much I tried.

My freedom of choice had been taken away from me by then. I HAD to drink every night and I didn't have the strength or willpower or ability to stop. It felt as if I was living in a nightmare but I couldn't wake up! The good news is that I was finally able to stop drinking through the help and love of some friends who showed me a way to let go of my obsession to drink. I've been sober for awhile now and I am grateful for that every day. But I'll never forget how terrified I was once I realized I had lost the ability to say no to the drink. I was in the grips of an obsession that could have killed me or someone else. Fortunately, that didn't happen.

There are many freedoms that we have - especially those freedoms we enjoy here in the United States of America. After what I went through, I've learned that freedom should never be taken for granted. Today I spend my time trying to help others gain their freedom back if they decide to ask for help when it comes to drinking. I'm always happy and eager to share my story with others because I was so low at one point and I was helped out of that low place by loving people who showed me the way. I'll never be able to repay them, but as I help others, I'm slowly repaying the debt, a day at a time.

If the function of freedom is to free another person, then I pray that I will be able to continue to share my hope with others so that they can regain their own personal freedom of choice.