Sober Milestones & Chasing Dreams

 Today is my 6-month sober-versary! 6 months of choosing to walk away from alcohol as a self-medicating numbing agent after decades of leaning on it when I felt like life was getting too heavy, too messy, or too uncomfortable. I am working on a project with a sober friend, and she said in an email earlier today, "Sober collaboration is the best! Together we can make great things happen!" And boy, is that true. Today I am feeling like things have changed since September 14, 2023 when I decided alcohol was not serving a (positive) purpose in my life. Obviously, that was true for many years prior, but that was the day I decided to live in that truth moving forward.

In the past six months, I've made friends that I now consider to be some of my besties. They have walked a path that may not look exactly like mine, but they've walked a path that led them to the same decision I made six months ago. They are the truest kind of friends I have ever known because they love and accept me for who I am, despite all of my flaws. We share challenges and successes, and they are my biggest cheerleaders. I'm grateful for the sober community I am in, and especially thankful for the friendships I've made within that community. 

Those friendships have led to the beginning stages of chasing a dream and nailing it down into reality over the past couple of weeks. I have been working on a memoir of sorts over the past several months, bringing together pieces of writing from this blog, from previous attempts at writing a book, and from the ups and downs this journey of sobriety has brought to my life over the past six months. This friend whom I quoted in the first few sentences of this blog made a connection happen with an author in the quit lit space, who then introduced me to her publisher and editor. 

I think publishing a book is actually on the horizon. A goal for 2024 has been made. 

In the spirit of these connections, I want to share one of my favorite quotes from "This Side of Alcohol" by the genuinely fabulous Peggi Cooney. Something that resonates with me more at this six month mark than it did when I first read her book months ago. 

Peggi writes, "Sobriety has taught me the art of purposefully taking a pause, waiting a few seconds before speaking, a gift born from mindfulness." 

I, too, have learned this lesson in sobriety. I've also learned that now is the time to chase the dream that I wasn't equipped to handle years ago when I was still drinking. Writing has always been a passion of mine, and now I get to see it through to a finished product that I can share with the world. It's terrifying and exhilarating all at the same time. I worry about what my family will think, what my kids will think, what my friends will think. But I am also so excited to finally be putting something like this into action. 

Peggi goes on later in her book to talk about how she responded when her husband asked when she might be done with "all the meetings, courses, work" she was doing in her sobriety. Peggi's answer resonates so deeply in me. In her words, "I took a big breath and calmly answered: 'No, I am not done. I will most likely never be done. It has become my life's purpose.'"

I felt that deeply. I've worked in a field that I don't love, but I do love what my job affords me in terms of prioritizing my kids and their activities and still having a career that I can be impactful in and grow in. But now, the life's purpose has started to shine through. I think my purpose is not only to raise four productive and kind human beings, but also to impact the world in a way that shines a positive light on sobriety, allows me to share my thoughts in written words whether that be on this blog or in book form (or both) and creates connections for me within the sober community of women that have absolutely enriched my life over the past six months. 

It's all coming together, friends.  

These past six months have been a new page in my life's story. I've been reintroduced to who I am and who I was always meant to be, because somewhere along the way, I forgot about that girl. Sobriety has allowed me to truly show up as my best self everyday, and to chase the dreams I'd long since tossed to the wayside. 

I can't wait to see what the next six months holds.