Q
Dear Pearl, I love your advice, especially when it comes to the evil of drugs. I am sending you this email to ask advice about a new relationship I am in.
I am 50 years old and after many abusive relationships, it seems I have finally met a kind and decent man. We have been spending a lot of time together, and we talk a lot.
We have both had a hectic life, but we are open about everything, the good and the bad. But there is one thing I have not revealed, and that is that I used to be a drug addict.
This is something I have been hiding from everyone in my life, because the dwelms were something from more than 20 years ago.
But as you know, daai ding gaan nooit weg nie.
I have been clean, though I am still afraid of being judged if anyone knows about my vuil past.
I would love to open up to him about how much drugs affected me, but I don’t want to drive him away.
Please share your pearls of wisdom!
From Ex-Junkie J
A
First off, let Auntie congratulate you on beating the drug demon and staying clean for so long.
There are not many addicts out there who can say this, so well done.
We all know the evil drugs bring to our communities, and to hear a success story like yours is fantastic, and it might even inspire others who are struggling to kick the habit.
As for your new problem, Auntie is going to come straight out and tune you that you need to tell your new love about your past.
Listen, honey, you can’t say that you two share everything, but there is this secret in your past that is bothering you.
And that’s the problem – sure, there might be things that you never tell your berk, but it will probably be small dingetjies that you sommer forgot about.
The fact that your history with dwelms is bothering you just goes to show that you need to talk about it.
Never think that you can keep your past hidden from everyone, geraamtes innie kas have a way of popping out when you least expect it.
If you plan to take this relationship all the way, you should tell him about your entire past, because if he finds out another way, it could be the end of your happiness.