600 miles away. Teenage children. Husband’s alcoholism.
I’d suggest, a visit as 600 miles is far to uproot the children again for an actual move.
Alcoholism: I know from experience of 2 very different family members who were both functional alcoholics, that alcoholics truly can overcome alcoholism and still have a beer or 2 now and again without falling back into getting drunk. For one, as soon as the stressor (work) causing him to drink was gone (he retired), he never got drunk again in his life (33+ yrs between retirement & death), but he enjoyed an occasional beer on a hot day. The other, turned his life over to Christ and after about 6 months, he no longer gets drunk, but still enjoys a beer with dinner on occasion. He is still cautious about who he spends time with and for how long to ‘avoid near occasion of sin’ aka avoid slipping back into alcoholism. It’s like a diabetic, the disease can be completely eliminated via an LCHF or Keto diet and a rare high carb treat won’t bring back diabetes, but if they go back to eat lots of high carbs frequently the diabetes will come back. Same thing with an alcoholic, it can be eliminated but based on choices, it can come back at any time.
Should you go back? I don’t know. That’s a decision you need to make prayerfully with your husband. The Bible says it’s okay for spouses to separate for a time period that they decide so they can devote themselves more fully to prayer, but not too long so the devil doesn’t get a foothold.
St. Monica would be a good person to ask for intercession. She lived a marriage similar to yours, though she never separated, and in the end her husband was converted and lived a sober Christian life for 3 years before his death.
