"How did you do it, Dad? How have you managed not to take a drink for almost 20 years?" It took me almost 20 years to have the 1 to even ask my father this very personal question. When Dad first 2 drinking, the whole family was on 3 and needles every time he got into a 4 that, in the past, would have 5 him drinking again. For a few years we were 6 to bring it up 7 that the drinking would begin again.
"I had this little poem that I would recite to myself at least four to five times a day." That was Dad's 8 to my 18-year-old unasked question. "The words were a constant (经常的) 9 to me that things were 10 so hard that I could not deal with them," Dad said. Then he 11 the poem with me. The poem's 12 , yet profound(深刻的)words immediately became 13 of my daily routine(日常事务) as well.
