what a difference a year makes...

I found it difficult to see the end of the tunnel this time last year.  It was so depressing.  Now we are seeing the light and it's so wonderful, very grateful. Last night we had our friends over for dinner.  It was just supposed to be them - the couple, Dan and Meghan.  Dan is the doctor who is in recovery and Meg is on our soccer team, who is a physical therapist - the ones who have 3 children I sit for - for free.  He, in turn, has helped T with his chemistry and will continue to do so until he's caught up.  He also is starting a relationship with him about their common bond, sobriety.  This is BIG - the added bonus to this.    T went to a concert downtown and then called and asked if he could stay at a local hotel one of his friend's dad set up and was supposed to stay with them.  Fine.  We were a bit suspicious but he seemed fine when we talked to him and thought what was he going to do at that point, anyway, since it was so late.  Originally, we were going to pick him up but we were so tired.  We allowed him to go to this concert because he has been doing so well.  He also pointed out that New Year's is "party night" and that he needed to find something to keep him away, a good selling point being that this concert cost us $50.  Well, this morning he asked for a ride home.  What about the dad that was to have spent the night with them?  "Oh, he had to get up early and left them to sleep in." Right.  Hopefully, my husband gets the truth out of him on the way home.  They should be back soon. *Even if he wasn't telling the truth - he seemed fine on the phone.    Note:  The boys' old band teacher, who my husband and I liked, a lot,  moved to another school district a few years go, was recently arrested for sexual contact with a female student band member at the new school he moved to!  We are in shock.  Our boys have had him since middle school until he left.  The spring of '06 he left our district because his contract was only extended for one year for a number of reasons, therefore, he wasn't happy with it and decided to go to another district for a better contract.  His contract was only for year (maybe a probation type of contract) because of  lateness, absenteeism,  and for messing up on the amount of $ parents owed for a Disney band trip (parents had to fork over as much as an extra $200 around Christmas time), which didn't sit well for many.  My husband and I, quietly, defended him.  Now that I think of it, we had him at our home to try and see what we could have done to help him.  We thought that the parents were being knit-picky BUT we also were not in the thick of it (not on the band board and didn't have constant contact with him).  We liked him because he was friendly (apparently too "friendly") and because he was so good and complimentary of our boys.   At the time, his wife had advanced cancer and he had a baby at home.  I felt for him.  Guess I was taken for a fool.  Still feel for him, in a way.........stupid - plain stupid.  He was so talented in the music field - we were very impressed with the marching band and concerts...he added life and spark.  It's ashame.  His poor family.  How can one be so smart, yet so stupid?