There I was, in a deep sleep, cuddling with my blankets. Unexpectedly, I awake from my dream into a nightmare. My mom is rambling.
“Mom what’s going on? It’s one o’clock in the morning,” I say.
“Get up we’re going,” my mom says with her voice worried.
We go downstairs. I can tell my mom is panicked, but she tells me to get into the car. Her panic tells me everything I needed to know.
We need to go pick up my dad, again. We’re speeding all the way there but it feels like nothing is moving around us. Finally we reach our destination, Milwaukee county jail to get my dad after getting his fifth DWI. After waiting there for a couple hours we were told to come back in the morning to pick him up. Just looking at my mom I could tell how worried she was by her eyes. This time it’s no joke. It’s a felony.
For the next six months he spent every day at AA meetings and living in a half way house in the hopes of getting the judge on his good side. Without my dad home, there was work left undone. This is when I decided I have to step it up. Whether it is the cleaning, cooking, or feeding animals I’m always up for helping. I could tell that the pressure of running the house alone was slowing getting to my mom.
To try and make her feel better, I would keep her busy. We went to movies, out to lunch, and just hung out. I would update her about my day at school and all the dumb drama that’s going on, and then I would listen about her day. Even on her worst day she would tell me about the good things that happened.
“It can only get better,” she said
And I knew it would. I had no doubt in my mind that my mom had everything under control I knew she was physically and emotionally drained. I admire her determination and strength. I learned that even though something bad happens, not to let it get to me and always look on the bright side. The whole family had to step up, be more responsible, and take leadership. But no one did more than my mom. She thought I was helping her, but in all reality she was helping me become a better person without even knowing it.