Merry Christmas and a happy New Year, let’s hope it’s a good one without any beer

Christmas has always been a difficult time of year in my family. Tensions were high, not knowing how drunk my mum and dad would get (who were both alcoholics) and when the arguments would start. Even after my parents divorced, ‘It’s Christmas’ remained my mum’s excuse to drink from before 12pm and to go to the pub earlier than most days.

This would put myself, my brother and my grandparents on edge, trying to sneakily hide or get rid of alcohol, water down drinks and say that she’d had enough without starting the traditional Christmas arguments.

An exhausting day ending in arguments

It was a day when she felt she had more of an excuse to drink than normal and no reason to try and hide it, as she so often tried. It would always be an exhausting day ending in arguments, pleading with her to go to bed and tears. Sometimes the day would end a little easier with mum passing out, sometimes under tables, at the bottom of stairs, with a drink or a cigarette in her hand.

Then my brother and I would try to look after her, get her to bed without being screamed at to leave her alone, making sure she was breathing, trying to pry any alcohol or lit cigarettes away from her to avoid spillages or fires and trying to keep her safe. While these were unfortunately usual ends to our days, they were always predictable on Christmas and happened more regularly than hoped over the whole Christmas period.

Lucy

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