Both My Parents Struggled with Alcohol

Tsé Daa’ Kaan, NM

Growing up, both of my parents struggled with alcohol. My childhood wasn’t easy. I remember the drinking, the arguing, and the physical fights. It felt like that was normal back then. This was in the 70s and 80s, and there wasn’t much help. People were expected to deal with it on their own.

Because of that, I ended up helping raise my younger siblings. But I wasn’t alone my grandma stepped in.

She became everything we needed. She made sure we had food, a clean home, and someone who was present. She taught me how to cook, how to clean, and how to take care of others. But more than that, she listened. She was the one we went to when things felt heavy. She was our counselor before we even knew what that meant.

Looking back, I see how strong that role was. In many Navajo households, the grandmother is the one who holds everything together the steady voice, the one who keeps the family grounded when things fall apart.

Even today, I see families still struggling with alcohol and drugs. Many times, there is still nowhere close to turn for help. We see our relatives hurting, and too often, we can only watch.

That’s why stories like this matter. They remind us that while services are needed, we have always had strength in our families. My grandma was that strength for us.

And that is something we cannot lose.

— Prefer to be unnamed, May 2026, Tsé Daa’ Kaan, NM