A deeply moving diary was posted earlier this week by Holy Handgrenade, Battling Alcoholism.
Therein an unflinching admission was made in what was presumed to be the safety of friends. It was a good gamble for the outpouring of love and support was palpable. Nonetheless, this was a tremendous leap of faith because no secret is guarded more jealously than that which threatens to expose our core vulnerabilities.
Addiction is a painful and lonely business even if those around us are also addicts. Shame, guilt, weakness, grief and fear all go with the territory. I know how hard it is to dare voice for the first time that the servant is now the master, that life is out of control even though to the casual observer things might look just fine. I know because I am a recovering alcoholic. However, this diary is not about me, it's about us and the care and feeding of our liberal hearts.
HHG's brave post prompted over 330 comments. Most reflected simple acts of kindness and support, but many bore the details of personal struggles. Some told stories of addiction, recovery and hope; while others put into words the persistent ghosts haunting pasts touched by alcoholism and addiction. Stories of lives lost and families destroyed, of frightened children and raging parents were gut wrenching.
Perhaps most striking were the comments regarding hearing and fearing the whispers that portend the inevitable slip into the abyss. These are people in our community at the proverbial fork in the road. For these people, for HHG, for all those who dared to share a deeply guarded secret, I hope the community will keep open a door, perhaps a recurring diary where our liberal hearts can be nurtured to make us stronger for the political, social and moral fights we must wage.
So I ask, is there a place in dKos to tend to our hearts?