Overheard in Recovery: Love is not Enough

I thought love would be enough.

So thought Lois Burnham as she began her marriage to Bill Wilson. No matter what happens, in the ups and downs, love will always be enough.

Oh, if that were only true.

Years later after Bill had gotten sober and was in the early stages of developing Alcoholics Anonymous she wondered why her love hadn't been enough to get Bill sober.  As she struggled with it she founded Al-Anon as a support for the family and friends.

But it is a tough question. Why isn't love enough? Perhaps some of it is the whole "romantic" issue of love. Perhaps some of it is the pop culture idea that "love means never having to say you're sorry." [Baloney!] Perhaps it is because addiction and alcoholism is far deeper and far more powerful than we are willing to admit.

Yet the story of Lois Wilson shows that it is possible to work together with the addict in your family as long as each is involved in developing their own program. Love is not enough- strength from beyond oneself is essential. But love can keep the bonds together long enough to get to where you need to be.