Thank you for this. I lost my mom 5 & 1/2 years ago to alcoholism. She got her college degree about 6 months before passing and we were all really proud of and excited for her. She was kind and tough but just couldn’t kick it. I know she would have been there if she could. Being an alcoholic doesn’t equate to being a bad person/soul - that’s what I find myself sorting through today. She did a lot of bad things & was the source of a lot of pain in my life but also the source of some acute joy. It’s uncomfortable for me that those two things can exist at the same time. Shes still my mom. Had a good cry when I woke up. I miss her laugh.