You can't avoid your demons

I lost a cousin yesterday to his demons. He tried to drown them in alcohol to no avail and in doing so created another demon he couldn’t shake.

He was smart-brilliant really and funny-he loved playing jokes on people (I once woke up to a black lamb in my bedroom because he thought it would be funny). He had a wife who loved him in spite of the turmoil and pain he created. He had two wonderful sons, a granddaughter and a grandson on the way. His drinking hurt them all. Our demons do that-they hurt the people around us too. Yet, because they loved him, they all continued to hope he would get the help he needed—and he was getting counselling and had finally agreed to attending a residential rehab program. But his body was too damaged by the years of drinking and his soul in too much pain. In the end his heart simply gave out.

Dealing with your demons is hard work.  It takes guts and time and help. But we owe it to ourselves and those we care about to do the work, shed the tears and make peace with our demons.

It means accepting and acknowledging all our pain and fears and working to let it all go. It’s the only way to joy and peace—for yourself and those who care about you.