The Gift of Sobriety~

It took me a few years to realize that I was giving myself a gift. The gift of learning how to live a life that didn’t need to be numbed by alcohol. Sobriety isn’t just not drinking. It’s a life altering occurrence that requires you to change the way you look at and respond life.

You take away the alcohol, and you are left with yourself. A self you don’t recognize without the numbing effects of the alcohol. A self that has allowed the alcohol to make all the decisions, to be in control. A self that you don’t recognize, that is awkwardly, unfamiliar. A self that feels raw, hopeless, and scared.

Each day I remained sober, I gave myself the chance to heal, to grow, to learn how to be okay with who I am, and who I could become. It was one of the hardest things I have ever done. It is also one of the most rewarding. I could not have done this alone. There’s not just one specific experience or person that I can give credit to for my sobriety. There are many that have left a huge imprint on my life.

I not only gifted myself sobriety, I have given that gift to my children, my family, my loved ones, my friends, and anyone in my orbit. In sobriety, I have blossomed with love, kindness and respect into the person I want to be. I have developed a healthy relationship with myself, and have created a life that I could only imagine.

Sobriety is the gift that keeps on giving, and one I won’t be returning.