“My Father's Mistake” is a powerful tell-all piece about “Laura” struggling to understand and deal with the truth about her father's addiction. She begins, “I speak of my childhood with words like neglected, nonexistent, and irresponsible.” Her father was a longtime member of Alcoholics Anonymous and a recovering alcoholic and “Laura” had been to these meeting for as long as she could remember. When it was finally her father's turn to be speaker at an AA meeting, he shares his story of addiction and the lifetime battle he has endured with suicide, alcohol, and drugs. “Laura” is shocked to hear about these attempts at ending his life, about his comas and depression, and sees her father as a different person. She understands now why he would be rushed to the hospital for days at a time, and why her childhood was unlike any others. When her father asks what she thought after sharing his story, she sees he kept this from her because he was scared she would think of him differently. “Laura” reflects and realizes she did see him differently, she was, “amazed by my father's strength.”
     While I cannot relate to what must have been a baffling experience, learning her father's true story of depression and addiction, I got a powerful message out of this. “Laura”’s  father tried to protect her from knowing this so she would be ashamed of him when in actuality, his secret made her appreciate him and his strength even more. Everyone is going through internal struggles whether they show it or not, and we all must be mindful and give the benefit of the doubt to everyone in our lives. “Laura” learned the harsh realities of her father’s experiences, and instead of being ashamed or scared, realized what he had been through and his incredibly difficult journey and appreciated him for it. Thank you, “Laura” for sharing this story of acceptance and understanding in dark times.