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Twenty Four HoursAfter practice I drank to feel like one of the teamThen Dad caught me one mornin’ smellin’ like Jim BeamHe said, “Son, let God be your refuge and His name a strong towerAnd the hardest part of quittin’ is the first twenty four hours”My first meeting taught me if I walked one day at a timeI’d outrun my demons until tomorrow was mine I could almost watch the Super Bowl and not thirst for a beerWith God’s help I went to bed sober for seven good yearsAnd days with endings too dark to seeWere the days when my faith carried meWhen Dad got the news I took it even harder than himFor awhile it felt like life was just a leaf on the wind‘fore I broke the glass I took one sip of that whiskey sourThe hardest time without Dad was the first twenty four hoursI learned when life sticks it to you…you gotta stick with it When it comes to drinkin’ quitters ain’t strong enough to quitSo I stood up to my demons by kneeling in my tearsWith Dad’s mem’ry and prayer I’ve been clean eleven long yearsAnd days with endings too dark to seeWere the days when my faith carried meNow at his first meeting that kid looked barely nineteenSaid he started drinkin’ to feel like one of the teamI hugged him and said our weakness can reveal God’s powerAnd the hardest part of quittin’ is the first twenty four hours©2007 Robert George