Yesterday I spent time on the telephone with my 11-year-old grandson, who lives in California. We weren't talking about anything in particular. He was on his computer at the other end of the phone and was looking up weather reports for different parts of the world. He would ask me to give him the capital of a state or country then he would give me a weather report for that area. It was a silly exercise but when we through talking I realized how much I enjoyed the exchange.

I realized that in his 11 years my grandson has never seen me drunk or high and I felt a rush of gratitude. Nor has he seen his father or mother under the influence of alcohol or drugs. I know that if I hadn't been sober since before he was born I likely would not have had the blessing of this exchange.

One thing I know about alcoholics and drug addicts who are in their disease is that they often have a profound negative influence upon family members. They come home drunk. Or high from a session at the dope house. They have fits of rage when things don't go their way. They spend family resources staying drunk or high. Their chaotic behavior has an indelible impression upon their children, one that can scar them for many years.

Our sobriety has an ongoing influence upon those in our lives. It is like throwing a a rock in a pond. The rock has a ripple effect that spreads across the surface, one we can never bring back.