For her school assignment, Preslee Scott wrote an essay that was brutally honest about her father, Casey Scott.
In spite of the fact that it involves a great deal of grief, the young lady shows remarkable knowledge that is way above her years. When her father finally gets around to reading the letter out loud, years later, the “raw and true” words bring tears to his eyes.
Casey Scott was just 14 when he first tried consuming alcohol. And as time went on, it eventually developed into a full-fledged dependency.
Preslee Scott, who is the eldest of Casey’s three children, was in the best position to see firsthand the devastation that her father’s drinking caused. And in an essay about her dad that she wrote when she was 14 years old when she was in high school and titled “Back Then and Now,” she disclosed the influence that it had on her.
The children of Preslee now divide their time between living with both of their parents after their parents eventually received a divorce. Because her mother was no longer around, Preslee was exposed to her father’s drinking to its full extent.
After her parents divorced, Preslee thought it was her responsibility to take charge and save her younger siblings from their father’s substance misuse. And because of this, their relationship was put under a significant amount of hardship.
Casey Scott checked himself into treatment center on his own will after a road incident that might have a very tragic ending. It was difficult for him as much as for his children. Casey’s children were unable to spend much time with their father in the early stages of his rehabilitation.
And as soon as he was released from rehabilitation, he was fired from his work and had to start the difficult process of reconstructing his life. Casey Scott emerged on the other side of dependency with a strong desire to assist others who are also struggling with it. He spent some time working in rehabilitation, and used that time to think about what he had put his loved ones through by his actions.
Casey’s epiphany about his daughter came along after he had been sober for a number of years.
The influential essay that Preslee had written on her father and titled “Back Then And Now” was highlighted by one of her professors. The instructor recommended that Casey read it. And when he finally did, it struck him like a punch in the gut.
When Casey Scott, the father, read his daughter’s essay out loud on his podcast, it was an emotional and profound moment. As he reads the moving words, he is practically inconsolable for the whole of the experience.
“I read that in the hope that someone hears this and knows that consumption is a family illness,” he adds, “I am really happy that she accomplished this. But I feel terrible about what I’ve done.”