A List Of Things That Alcohol Can And Cannot Do

Alcohol can add flavor to your cooking,
But it cannot satisfy you entirely.
It cannot feed what your soul hungers for.
It cannot show you what it truly means to be content.

Alcohol can play a sacred role in religious ceremonies,
But it cannot give you any answers.
It cannot tell you why you are here or what your purpose is.
It cannot say if you are meant to do anything at all.

Alcohol can accompany celebrations and accomplishments,
But it cannot complete the hard work it takes to get you there.
It cannot stretch out an achievement forever.
It cannot forgo the requirement of continuous effort in your future tasks.

Alcohol can help you get to know someone,
But it cannot earn their trust for you.
It cannot encourage them to open up.
It cannot inspire real closeness.

Alcohol can help you fall asleep,
But it cannot bring you rest.
It cannot prevent you from dreaming of the thoughts that keep you up at night.
It cannot make those problems disappear the next morning.

Alcohol can disinfect scrapes and wounds,
But it cannot heal a broken heart.
It cannot cure sadness.
It cannot make smooth what has been scared.

Alcohol can make us feel remorse and bring us face to face with our regrets,
But it cannot apologize for us.
It cannot undo the choices we’ve made.
It cannot unsay the words we’ve spoken.

Alcohol can be your excuse for reaching out,
But it cannot take responsibility for your actions.
It cannot undo the circumstances that separated you to begin with.
It cannot explain to someone how much you miss them.

Alcohol can serve as your liquid courage,
But it cannot determine what warrants taking a risk.
It cannot tell you ahead of time that everything will work out if you put yourself out there.
It cannot decide for you if something is worth that potential failure.

Alcohol can help set the mood and fuel desire,
But it cannot fabricate it where there is none.
It cannot initiate connection.
It cannot establish a bond.

Alcohol can take the edge off,
But it cannot eliminate the source of the stress.
It cannot bring true comfort.
It cannot make right what our anxiety warns us is wrong.

Alcohol can loosen our tongues so we can tell the truth,
But it cannot engender the feelings that make something true.
It cannot put those feelings into words.
It cannot fill the spaces where language is lacking either.