afraid I have waited too long #3

[tough spot]

I try to think of my WAW as a mentally ill addict. Now that sounds really bad but it allows me a couple of things. Addicts or even just people you love, sometimes they just won't listen. Even if you are 100% sure about something, have vast amounts of experience concerning what they are doing, and the consequences of getting it wrong are huge, sometimes they just won't listen.

And, learning that, that I can't control someone in addition to their inability to listen to 'reason', you just have to let them do their thing and possibly suffer the results.

I have two older children and two pretty young children. I have also been in AA for over 18 years. I can listen to my older kids as I can also listen to people trying to get sober. Sometimes they just have the stupidest ideas about how to do something or what the results will be (of course, I should admit, sometimes my judgment is the one that is off).

I have learned....and I often forget for awhile....that I just have to let them stew in the nasty results of their actions. It grants me freedom. Freedom from the sense of responsibility. It still hurts...but I don't feel guilty.