It's not a sin

Growing up Southern lots of things were sins.  Fortunately hair dye was NOT a sin.  Neither was Covergirl, Maybelline, Revlon...etc.  Wet n Wild might have been a sin...it sounded like too much fun.  Jeans weren't a sin, high heels were expected, listening to the Commodores, Cyndi Lauper, Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie..all that was normal.  Most church families hid whiskey away and only had it in hot toddies or delicious recipes calling for rum, despite the fact that every Sunday we were singing a song about wine or learning that Jesus made wine.  We sung the song Come and Dine. (a personal favorite, I was a fat child)

come and dine, the Master calleth, come and dine
you may feast at Jesus' table all the time
he who fed the multitude, turned the water into wine
to the hungry calleth now, come and dine

Yet we were routinely told that drinking was a sin, bars were bad...etc.

It was years (and many cocktails under my belt) before those words in the song sunk in.  Drinking was never a sin.  Drunkenness was.  I don't believe it was one drunken night that was a sin.  I believe the drunkenness sin meant when you put that before all else.  Before children, family, finances...when drinking becomes the only thing in life.  But being raised in the church I was struggling with all those years of sinning (yes I was finally trashy!!!)

I still don't have a healthy relationship with drinking.  I don't do it nearly often enough!  I actually rarely drink.  I am a much better mother after a drink or two.  I am also in less pain after a drink or two.  I had a glass or several of wine this week, my son drove me absofreakinglutely up a wall!  I was ready to mince him for dinner and tell my husband that he had run away for better parents.  My husband would have believe it.  We've been expecting him to take out want ads for better parents for years now. So far he keeps biding his time with us.  He even asks how long he can live at home...as in during college and beyond.  We fear he may not entirely hate us yet.  We may not be punitive enough.  So when darling dearest child of mine was being insolent this week and I had had a very bad day...I lost it (again) but rather than yell too much I had a glass (tumbler) or two (three) of wine....ok about a bottle.  I was in a much more mellow mood.  It was later, while singing Come and dine in the bathtub (I told you I had wine) that I realized that we should have been drinking wine all along!  Jesus made it!  I vowed I would try to drink when I feel like homicide.

I think we should all do our best to keep to the 10 commandments.  Drinking isn't one but murder is. If you see me in the store with several gallons of wine or vodka....I am only doing my part to be a better parent and to keep the 10 commandments.