Dear Queenie,
My brother drinks too much and often drives when he has been drinking. I will not get in a car with him or let him take my children anywhere because I never know when he is drunk or if he will start drinking somewhere along the way. That means they hardly ever get to see him.
My parents think I am being mean to him and the kids to keep them apart because he doesn’t have any kids of his own and he does love mine, but that wouldn’t stop him from putting them in danger by driving drunk because he thinks it’s no big thing.
Queenie, how can I make them understand?—Alcoholic’s sister
Dear Alcoholic’s sister,
They will never understand until they accept the fact that your brother is an alcoholic, which apparently they refuse to admit. If you have not done so already, join an Al-Anon group for help and support in coping with this situation – and if you can persuade your parents to go to a meeting or two with you, so much the better.
