A delightful talk. A member since 1964, Frances grew up near Greer, SC with no alcoholism in the home but very much in the families on both sides. The first of four children and the first grandchild. She became a people-pleaser early. She married in 1951 to a wonderful, hansom, charming fellow choir member. Started having children in 1952. He got a virus in 1953, became ahypochondriac then becamementally ill. She went to work and stuffed a lot of feelings.He spent nine years and later died in the state hospital. His family tried to force him back home. She could not get a divorce at that time in South Carolina. Later she met her current husband, Jerry, while she was working at IBM. He had two sons. In the beginning there was no problem with alcohol. Dated him for three years. Got married and had a son of their own. Lots of good time before things got bad and the control issues started. Depressed and sad, her minister told her about Al-Anon and three months later she came to her first meeting at the Sandy Springs Holy Family Group. Later she went to an open AA meeting while Jerry was still drinking and found the laughter, hope and the message of alcoholism as a disease.
(49 min) (11.4 MB) (id#261)