Aunt Adeline Died?

So, I’m fairly certain that I’m addicted to cough drops as candy, listening to Broadway songs on a treadmill and eating six or seven of those Smartfood mini bags because, well, it doesn’t feel like quite as much when the bags are so little.  Addiction is a global crisis – 100% of the population has one – but only 4 or 5 addictions seem to get the headlines. They deserve it – they are serious and tragic and need support - but I can think of at least 10 others in my own life that deserve some attention.  Like my sister is addicted to bringing a couple pieces of Wonderbread to Thanksgiving, my neighbor is addicted to mowing the lawn in his boxers at 6am on Sundays, and my PCP is addicted to referring me to “ologists.” The hospital near us seems addicted to sending me flyers inviting me to their Lamaze classes, which is very thoughtful and assumes I have superpowers, and yet it’s awkward. My bride, God love her, is addicted to giving me chores that she knows I’m incapable of completing without her help. One of my kid’s is addicted to telling us at times that she isn’t good enough, when she is – my goodness she is – but navigating that as a teenager these days is tough. But we have things to make us laugh - like when my mom and dad like telling the group chat at 8am that they got Wordle by, um, telling us the word. This girl on my school’s basketball team was once addicted to staying late after practice because she wanted to make the layup, and because going home meant sounds of gunshots and no parents. Her addiction was her reality and also her hope.  So many addictions are and yet we often think of addiction in such negative ways, as flaws, as disappointments, as invisible realities, and yet we’re learning every day that we can survive and recover and live with them.  It just takes someone to care. My mom cares, like she seems to be addicted to sharing funny stories about family funerals, only failing to tell me until days later.  “So your Aunt Adeline’s funeral was nice, although the cannoli was soggy.” “Wait, what?” I said, “Aunt Adeline died?!”