I Did a Thing Today!

 I did a thing today, guys! I shared my sober story on LHS, the first online sober community I joined back in September. I was very anxious leading up to it, but had written out my story and gone over it (rehearsed and clocked myself just like I would have for an oral presentation in college!) several times. I was pretty sure I'd be reading from my script the majority of the time, but once I started talking, it just came out so naturally. What an incredible experience to share my story out loud with women who have traveled a similar (yet very different in many cases) road. And one of my favorite humans in the world, my bestie from kindergarten who has shown up for me in crazy big and small ways since we were 5-years-old, she showed up for me in that meeting and I cannot even express in words how much her presence meant to me. It brought me to tears. She's been part of the sober AA community for 18 years and is such an inspiration and sense of comfort to me. And the women I've met in LHS through my small group (we meet on Marco Polo and share our journey through video chats), they all showed up for me today in the meeting and with messages of love and support. I'm so grateful. 

I shared in my story today how much improvement there has been in my life since I got sober. I'll be celebrating 5 months on Valentine's Day, and I have seen growth in myself mentally and emotionally, and I've seen beautiful changes in my relationship with my husband and my kids, and with the boundaries I can set now with people and friends and work without guilt, because I am learning that people pleasing will literally kill me. One of the things that was difficult for me to share was the instances when I drank where I made bad choices, or was mean to someone I love, or even before my journey with alcohol, my addiction to cutting and self-harm. It's all been such a crazy winding path of ups and downs, but sharing my story out loud today with faces of love, support, and no judgment whatsoever was so incredibly healing. 

Today was a good day, friends. 

I'm grateful for my sobriety. I'm grateful for my sober community. I'm grateful for my kids and my husband, and my parents and my grandma and my siblings and my friends. I'm grateful for a few of my favorite things looking like this now instead of a bottle of whiskey and lost memories. No matter what your struggle is in life, you can always choose differently. I'm so thankful I chose this new life, this forever sobriety on September 14, 2023. It's opened doors to a new perspective on my career, and my renewed passion for writing and reading and showing up as my authentic self. 

Life on the other side of alcohol is truly beautiful.