In Al-Anon 30 years since 8/4/1978, Glenda has a very touching story of a family torn apart by alcohol and restored through the AA and Al-Anon Programs.
"I had a God before I got here and my God led me to my alcoholic and my alcoholic led me to Al-Anon and Al-Anon led me to ya'll and ya'll led me back to a more understanding God than I ever had."
Her story in short is what it was like - it was hell - and now - it's wonderful.
She was the 7th child, the baby, of a small town Baptist preacher and his wife. There was love in action but not alot of hugging and kissing. It took the Program to teach her hugging. Basketball was her passion.
She swore she would never marry a preacher, "and I went way out in left field."
She had to switch schools in her senior year. It was a challenge but she learned alot.
She met a South Louisiana, Catholic boy, Joe, at a truck stop who worked on a pipeline and within a week or so they were engaged. Her dad married them reluctantly. Joe drank the day of the wedding. They moved to his parents living in a travel home on their property.
The first few years, drinking was not a problem because he did not drink when he worked. Then the problems started. Though times got tough he never struck her.
The failed birth of their second child launch Joe to full-fledged alcoholism - drinking whenever he was not working.
She went to work selling insurance and excelled at it and became a team leader but Joe was getting worse and having blackouts.
Joe agreed to leave rather than have Glenda and their daughter Page leave.
Their reconciliation, is a touching story especially after Joe started going to AA.
Listen to Joe's story also on WeJoy
(53 min) (18.3 MB) (id#1737)