A Void, Biology, and Chemistry

“Except for Sam, I don’t much like my in-laws,” Mikey said.  “I will say Betsy’s husband Bob really does love their kids.  The part I don’t get is that he just seems to love booze more.” 

I said, “It’s not about love. It’s about cellular biology. You can love someone with your whole heart, but they can only be next to you.  Your favorite chemical is in every cell of your body.  Until you get it out, you’ll always be closer to it than anything you love.”

“That sucks.”

“There’s an upside.  Once you stop using that chemical, you’re left with a void. At first that void can be a big pit of emptiness and anger. Probably a little depression and a whole lot of cravings.  But, you get to pick how you fill the void.  I don’t have any science to back this up, but I think whatever you put in the void you feel just a touch more intensely. Not at first - mainly because of brain chemistry - but eventually.

“What did you fill your void with?”

“Family. Recovery. Exercise.”

Mikey looked at me, glanced over at the scale, and looked back at me. “At least two of the three paid off.”

Today I will grateful for anything harmful I’ve eliminated,

and anything healthy I’ve replaced it with.

Life on Life’s Terms II © 2015 by Ken Montrose

(Just a reminder: LOLT II is a work of fiction.  Any resemblance to anyone you might know is purely coincidental.)