Twenty eight years ago I took my last newcomer chip. Life had beaten me to a pulp. I was hopeless and desperate. I was basically homeless and weighed less than 100 pounds. I was court ordered to attend meetings. Nothing in what I just wrote is remarkable. So many of us have been there. To me what is remarkable is that all these years later I can clearly recall the exact moment when I stopped staring at my shoes wishing I could leave and instead I stared at the woman who became my first sponsor because her words resonated in me.
Since that day my life changed. Did it become better? Yes and no. It remained life with all it’s beautiful ups and downs, it’s uncertainties and it’s frailties. I’ve suffered losses. Physical, mental, material and spiritual. More deaths than I care to remember. I’ve gotten jobs and promotions where I have thought to myself “don’t they know who I am??” Six beautiful grandchildren and one great grandchild all of whom have never seen what my children unfortunately did.
Twenty eight years of memories. Twenty eight years of experiences. Twenty eight years of dealing with life on life’s terms. What a glorious gift recovery has given me. Was it easy to receive this gift? No. Getting clean, staying clean and learning how to live as a responsible human wasn’t a cake walk. Was it worth it? Oh, words can not express the worth of a life freely given by those who came before me.
If you are new in recovery it may seem like too much work or too much effort with little benefit. Recovery is much like life itself. You get back what you put into it. If you skate through recovery or through life then you stand a chance of the tide turning and it running you over. Work on your recovery and your life and you will have the tools to help you stand back up after being run over.
Congrats & so happy for you, Sassy! And, for all the ladies you’ve helped sponsor through the years, fellas like me you pointed in the right direction, thank you. We keep stepping forward!
Huge congrats Sassy. What an incredible number. Thanks so much for sharing. Now working on 28 years of smoke free too I read elsewhere. You most definitely got this. Big hugs.
Thanks so much for sharing this, so encouraging! I look forward to working towards being able to tell my own someday! I am almost to three days sober, last night I went to a retirement party and lots of people were drinking. I took my wife with me, she asked me “are you okay with everyone drinking?” I said “yes I’m not tempted to drink I have what’s important in my heart, my wife and kids, and I don’t need a drink.” Some people did look at me a little sideways when I ordered a coke but I’m taking a stand for myself and my family and I’m not afraid. Im not afraid to see people drink it’s part of life. Im actually grateful people can enjoy alcohol and control themselves but I’m not one of them and that’s another reason to be grateful is I recognize that! Thanks again for sn encouraging story!
You are an absolute inspiration @SassyBoomer fills my heart with all the good stuff reading this. Accepting life on life’s terms. It works if you work it, one day at a time. Thank you for your post
That will have to wait. Celebrating the baby’s one year today and then leaving early tomorrow morning to pick up my brother and sister at the airport for our cruise on Monday. Granddaughter has six years and brother has 30. I’m sure we will celebrate on the ship
