I'll Drink To That

I got a call from my cousin (Hey, Yankee Cuz!). We are going to meet up and do a little vacationing with our families this summer.

May I take a moment to say YAY!

Anyway, there was some concern from her family about us being of the non-drinking sort and them being the drinking sort.

I thought it was kinda sweet, because the concern came from her twenty-something boys. (their ages, not how  many of 'em).

I don't know if they didn't want to "offend" us, or if they were afraid they'd have to pretend they didn't drink while we were there.

Nope. Good thing, too. I'd hate to know I had to pretend I was a drinker while I was there!

But, as usual, all this got me to thinking. (Don't you wish I'd just stop with the thinking?)

Of course, we live in the Bible Belt, and there is a misconception that nobody drinks alcohol here. 

Well, that just made me snort.

So I looked at why my husband decided not to drink. I don't think it's a religious thing. His paternal grandfather was an alcoholic.  I think what made him not risk that chance was working with addicts for thirty years and seeing what alcoholism does to one and one's family.

Let me tell you, it ain't pretty.

I, too, worked with addicts and families for over thirty years. 

My paternal side of the family is fraught with people who simply didn't know how to drink other than destructively.

Those aren't the reasons I am a teetotaler.

I could tell you I don't drink because if I did with all the medications I'm on, I'd probably wake up dead.

But that's not the real reason either.

The real reason is this: (are you ready?)

When I was a very small child, maybe nine, the Holy Spirit spoke to me and said I was to never imbibe. 

If you know the Bible, God has told others this very same thing, for whatever reason. Of course, when I was a child, I didn't know about other folks being told this, but I did agree with God I would not drink.

Now, I still don't know why He told me. Maybe it's none of my business.

Anywho, what that means is that if I drank, it would be a personal sin against God.

But drinking is not a universal sin (like torturing people, or something). 

The only the thing the Bible says about drinking other than people did it, was not to be a drunk. To get drunk is a sin. I think excess of anything is a sin. 

Gluttony is a sin too, big boy.

Anyway, I don't care if you drink alcohol. That's your business, not mine. I don't care if you have a glass of wine while I'm having my tea. 

So, raise a glass and let's toast this great adventure called life.

Cheers!