So, tomorrow, we will celebrate Bailey’s 21st birthday. Like anything with him, I always get to navigate a milestone. Here is the deal……while Bailey’s age will be 21, cognitively, he is 11 or 12. The thought of him drinking is perplexing to me simply because it feels like I would be allowing a child to drink. I know, it is confusing.
I have had other parents of children with Down syndrome inquire on how I will approach this. His excitement over “drinking” is a little disconcerting for several reasons. Brian’s family is riddled with alcoholism. It is a nasty disease that robs people of relationships, dignity, money, etc. and the reason I know so much about it is the fact that it almost destroyed my marriage. While I wouldn’t change the course of my life for anything, I still covet feelings of anxiety. Brian has been sober for fourteen years. We are a family living in recovery and I only share that to shed some light on this new territory that we will be navigating. I know I am putting way too much thought into, but trust me, overthinking is my process.
So, our plan is to let him try it. Some of the positive aspects of this situation is that he really has no means of getting alcohol on a daily basis. He is living in a controlled environment and honestly, I think he will probably hate it. At least, that is what I am hoping for. Walking through these interesting twists and turns have allowed me to pioneer some effective tools to use with various situations. I have no doubt that this opportunity won’t be any different.
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