Golden Years
A grandmother hits pay-dirt

   My sobriety birthday is September 19, 2003, and I am eighty-one years old. I am an example of how we "Golden Agers" get caught up in the affliction of alcoholism.

   I was a social drinker for most of my life. Then my husband of fifty-two years died ten years ago. I coped fairly well the first few years after his death, but I gradually became very depressed and lonely. I started to worry about how I was going to manage my home, my yard, and my finances. I was now living alone in the home we had built twenty-seven years before.

   My health deteriorated, making me even more depressed. Alcohol became my companion, my counselor, and my crutch. My children, my sister, and even my neighbors became concerned about me. I took several falls and shattered my shoulder in one of the them. I finally was faced with the fact that I could no longer live alone in the home I loved so much. It was like a death for me, which added to my reliance on alcohol to take away that pain.

   I was in rehabilitation hospitals and detox wards several times. I went to individual and group therapies. I kept thinking and praying that I could overcome the addiction, but it only got worse--including my health. The last time I was in the hospital, I was told that if I kept drinking I'd be dead in six months. I simply had to stop.

   I had attended many AA meetings, but never felt really comfortable. One of my counselors told me of an AA group that tried to focus on the older newcomer to AA. I found that I was completely at ease at those meetings. I could relate to the other members of the group. Each week became centered on Friday, our meeting day. We have developed friendships and empathy for the problems other members are still enduring. We are learning to work the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. We remember the mistakes we made, and share our experiences and strengths. We try to bring encouragement and hope to those who are still struggling.

   My life has been transformed. I can now enjoy precious times with my adorable two-year-old granddaughter. What a joy to hear her say, "I love you, Grandma." A year ago, there were times she was actually afraid of me! My children now have peace of mind. They hadn't enjoyed much peace until I found AA and sobriety. They are happy to see their mother back again--sober!

   They call these the "Golden Years." I live in a senior apartment now. Most of the people living here are not living golden lives. Illness and accidents are daily occurrences. Loneliness prevails. Most do not turn to alcohol for solace as I did, but we need to realize that this is a vulnerable time in the lives of many seniors and those who do start to drink must have a way to hear the AA message of hope.

I'm excited about starting my second year of sobriety, thanks to my Higher Power and the Fellowship of AA. I pray that those of you who have not yet reached that one year goal will accomplish that soon and celebrate many more.

Audrey O. Greendale, Wisconsin

Copyright © The AA Grapevine, Inc. February 2005. Reprinted with permission.