I can imagine this so well.
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@TigerMatriarch i feel the courtship comment so hard. Me and my husband started this journey together as dry january but we like our new rhythm and communication better
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Iām grateful for the random kindness of strangers, sobriety, my kitty, and the half package of JimJams that I just snarffed down. 
So the story is this. I went out to Ikea to look at some possibilities I could use in my home organization. I didnāt expect to be there more than an hour. At the end of looking around, I found a floor model of something (already put together) I could use in the clearence section, so I bought it and took it out to my car.
Wellā¦ It just barely didnāt fit.
In another life I might have had a melt down somewhere along the way, but I calmly tried a bunch of things, then finally sat on the thing looking at my car and trying to think of a new stragagy. A kind stranger came up to me at that point and said his wife had suggested he come help me.
He wasnāt able to get it to fit either, but he did have a bungie cord that he was willing to give me to strap the thing in my trunk. After that it was just a matter of trying to figure out how to keep my trunk closed on the way back, since it wouldnāt close on its own. I thanked him for his help and eventually bought some tarp rope to keep the trunk shut.
I was cold, tired, hungry, and it was well past the time that I was supposed to have taken my medication (which I didnāt pack because I didnāt expect to spend 2 hours trying to get something homeāpart of which time included the drive because I couldnāt use the freeway and I drove with my hazards on); however, I kept my cool externally and internally the whole time.
My first thought when I walked into my kitchen was āgod, I could really use a drinkā¦ā, and in another life I would have done just that, but this was an old thought and nothing I actually felt the urge to act on. Iāve been avoiding sugar this past week, but I decided the four JimJams in the cupboard were about to be my dinner and I have zero regrets because cookies were exactly what I needed.
I now sit here with my old lady kitty telling you about this because while the experience was definitely exhausting and not something I would like to repeat, I was blessed to receive the kindness of strangers and I got an opportunity to see just how far Iāve come, and thatās worth sharing.
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Thanks Alison.
Congrats on you 71 days. Iām glad your here.
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That is so amazing. Your mom made her so full of life
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Today I am grateful for:
- my higher power, which gives me goals to strive for, and guidance along the way
- Talking Sober, which gives me a community that understands me, and
- the chance to wake up today and make a difference
Wishing everyone a constructive day 
Take care folks!
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Itās perfect @Its_me_Stella! What a beautiful gift for a beautiful person. Your mom is very loving and talented. Iām glad sheās in your life daily. 
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Good day to you all.
I am grateful for having a good day, although I havenāt much at hand I am not bored.
I am grateful to be one of 10% of the world population that is not drinking alcohol.
I am grateful for not taking the poison called alcohol.
I am grateful to see clear that this poison is making me mentally and physically weak.
I am grateful I am not living the nightmare called alcohol anymore.
I am grateful I have learnt coping skills to deal with cravings.
I am grateful to use common sense and intelligence to fight those cravings.
I am grateful not confusing my self anymore with fantasizing about drinking.
I am grateful that my Self image significantly changed the last couple of months.
I am grateful this Self image changed in a positive way.
I am grateful for feeling Strong and Smart instead of weak and stupid.
I am grateful that I donāt need a drink to express myself.
I am grateful for being Independent, Resilient, Strong an Energetic.
I am grateful for reminding myself of all this gratefulness.
I am grateful to be humble and share this with you.
I am grateful for this threat to write it down.
I am grateful for all your beautiful stories.
Thank you 
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I was reading someoneās relapse post and I was immediately transported back to my old wine hangovers. Waking up and feeling nauseous and like shit. Iām grateful I havenāt had to wake up with one in a very long time. Iām grateful Iāve got a good memory, even now I feel physically sick thinking of them. Itās motivating to never want to feel that again.
Iām grateful for my beautiful dinner last night.
Iām grateful the service was perfect. Iām picky 
At one point our candle burned out and I felt sad because I liked the little flicker at the table. And our server noticed and came over with a new one. Little details matter
I was also gifted a birthday cannoli, even though it wasnāt my actual birthday.
Iām grateful I got to celebrate with my best friend.
Iām grateful he didnāt drink.
Iām grateful I was present for every minute.
Iām grateful I was treated to dinner. 
Iām grateful I enjoyed the meal with zero food rules. I didnāt order a salad. I ate several fried things. And guess what- I enjoyed every bite.
Iām grateful that even though I didnāt sleep great - dessert coffee- am I getting old?Ā” 
That I feel rested and happy.
Iām grateful the rain stopped. Iām grateful for the cool crisp air.
Iām grateful for the friends Iāve made here. You guys know me better then 99% of the people in my life. And we have never even met. Iām grateful for my little sober tribe and the beautiful color you all add to my life. Iām grateful for the gift of sobriety that Iāve given myself.
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Iām grateful for hangovers. Ya thatās right. The insanity of hangovers, and still I continued to drink. I probably got headachey hangovers 90% of the time the last ten years of my drinking. Yet it still didnāt stop me. Well, 45 years later it did. The insanity of hangovers was my driving force at the very beginning of my sober journey. Iām grateful every morning I wake up now. How cool is that?
Iām grateful for gratitude. Not only did I wake yesterday thinking gratitude on my way to the bathrooom in the dark. TMI? But I was GratiHappy all day long. Iāve heard āyou got to create your own happiness sometimes,ā but yesterday was like GratiHappy all day long. It didnāt matter what or when or how I was doing something yesterday. I was just grateful doing it, whatever it was, and happy all day long.
Iām grateful gratitude is such a powerful weapon.
Iām grateful I even called people on the phone yesterday. And they are like whatās wrong? We talked yesterday. My sister. My daughter cautiously answering yeahā¦ā¦. I Just wanted to tell you about my sister real quickā¦ā¦ā¦
Iām grateful I asked my daughter how her pain was? Itās uncomfortable for me because I donāt know what to say. Ever! But Iām learning I can just listen. And acknowledge and emphasize. I donāt have to say shit. Itās probably better that way anyway.
#Fuckchronicpain! 
Add that to ya list. With that said, Iām grateful I got just a little pain in my back this morning. Pretty minor.
Iām grateful for my sober deck dog selfies yesterday. And just enjoying my sunset sober with my dogs from my deck. It may not be the Pacific Ocean, from high up on the cliffs. Or on the beach. But a sober sunset is a gorgeous sunset wherever I want it to be.
Iām grateful Minnie doesnāt snore like a linebacker 
Got my wife for that. 
careful buddy. Actually Minnie snores like a beautiful white noise machine. I should record it. Iām grateful since I lost 40-50 pounds and Iām sober Iāve been told I hardly snore at all anymore. Ahhā¦ the blessings of sobriety. Too many to count. No more getting punched or shoved in my sleep.
Love you guys.
Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, āMy grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.ā Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christās power may rest on me. That is why, for Christās sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
2 Corinthians 12:7-10
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Iām grateful to see the sun 
. We hardly see the sun in the winter months because of cloud cover caused by Lake Superior.
Iām grateful that i live right by the mightiest fresh water lake of them all. When youāre on the shore of her itās like looking out into the ocean, no land in sight.
Iām grateful for the beautiful area that I call home, born and raised here. If you ever get a chance you should visit this area. If you love snow come here in February during winter carnival and see the ice sculptures. We have some really good skiing here too. Hundreds of miles of snowmobile trails. If you love summer the camping, boating, 4 wheeling, hiking, beaches itās all amazing. The colors in the fall are phenomenal, second to none. Iām grateful for this placeā¦ excluding shopping, our shopping sucks.
Iām grateful for you all like my family in my homeā¦ i need you guys.
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I love this part! I never looked at it that way. Thank you for sharing this 
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My husband and I vacationed on Lake Superior in Michiganās UP last Fall. The lake was wild and angry but with powerful beauty. We almost didnāt come home we loved it so much.
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I am grateful for quiet mornings with coffee and well written stories.
I am grateful that I recognized that I have been struggling with alot of pain lately.
I am grateful to have some skills to practice instead of being short fused and sharp tongued.
I am grateful that although this flare up can fuck off any day nowā¦ I know it wonāt last forever.
I am grateful that I didnāt push myself to drive to a meeting although I really felt I needed one.
I am grateful the connection I had with my daughter distracted me from my thoughts enough until I went to bed.
I am grateful I have therapy twice today because I sure feel I need it!!!
I am grateful I have money to get groceries.
I am grateful I have a car and enough money to put gas in it.
I am grateful that I have the designation for a disability parking pass. I have never swallowed my pride and ordered one though. Days like today it is neededā¦ I should get on that.
I am grateful that I am starting to let go of the feelings of being judged for my illness but I am not 100% there yet. āInvisible disabilitiesā are hard and people are cunts.
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I am grateful to be sober.
I am grateful I can accept today my physical struggles. I will adapt and accept.
I am grateful I have a friend here.
I am grateful I donāt drink.
I am grateful my job demands me to make phone calls which I really avoided all my life. It is getting better. No natural but I wonāt avoid it to the point I rather donāt get the information. I am grateful for my cats. I am so very grateful that they are doing okay.
I am grateful for our social system. Security (some at least) doesnāt come for free and with this pandemic it is so very touchable that only taking wonāt work.
I am grateful for this place. I am happy to see everyone growing in their recovery. You are so positive and an example for me when I lose track.
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Ah Iām grateful to be 25 days sober today.
I didnāt really deal with hangovers much, unless I really went to town with the whiskey (damn my high functioning liver lol) so Iām generally not grateful to be waking up without one but I am grateful to be waking up clear headed and energetic.
Iām grateful for my little dog, who does indeed snore like a full grown man! (I think it was Stella who was talking about that but Iām not positive, sorry!)
Iām grateful my shop will open in one week! It cannot come soon enough because yikes Iāve destroyed my savings and need an income. But if this is the price of following my dreams then so be it. Iāll eat ramen every night until I make sales and Iām already saving at least $25/day not drinking which is a nice bonus.
Iām grateful I am clear enough to talk back to my negative self talk and keep a calm demeanor. Spinning out into anxiety and using it as an excuse to drink is so exhausting.
Iām grateful to realize I donāt have to write a novel right now and I can just say Iām grateful for my life and my sobriety and you all here and not feel like Iām not giving enough.
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That was a driving force for me in the beginning, too. Iām grateful I never need to worry about shifting my time around a hangover again.
Iām grateful to have been awake early to go and get Chicklet #2 and take her out for breakfast. She asked for ānuffinsā, so muffins she got. 
Back home, sheās explaining all the hard work that goes into running a farm. 
Iām grateful that Iām willing and able to care for my granddaughters and support the kidsā careers. Iām such a lucky lady.
Iām grateful that I was able to dig deep and find some indifference to put towards an issue thatās been bothering me. There are things about myself that I really likeā¦ Iām not vain in the least, Iām honest, Iām real, Iām caring, I am fortunate but humble, and I always try to see things in others that I can love. But itās hard for me to have to deal with others who arenāt so honest and caring, so Iām trying to block that out. It didnāt go so well yesterday, but Iām grateful I got it going for me today.
I hear you about the invisible disabilities. @Its_me_Stella I was telling my son yesterday that itās a damn shame most people would have to feel the physical pain before believing someone is actually suffering. Do what you need to do for you. 
Edit: Iām also grateful that Iāve saved over $1,600 on alcohol in the past 5-1/2 months. I was utterly ridiculous. 
So glad I donāt drink anymore.
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Oh how precious. I want ānuffinsā with my granddaughter. Iām grateful to see that pic and my eyes well up with love. What a grateful blessing you get to do it all sober for her.
It is a damn shame about the pain thing you mentioned. I was blessed to have a sister with MS. And physically she didnāt show pain early on. I learned so much from her. This is the stuff no one can teach you in schools.
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Today Iām grateful for my own and my familyās health. Over the last couple of days I have spoken to 3 families affected by heart problems. It really brought home to me how short life is and that you just never know whatās around the next corner. Addressing my alcohol use is a great start but myself and my partner really need to work on ourselves.
Iām grateful to be tired this evening, hopefully Iāll sleep well tonight.
Iām grateful to have a walk planned for the weekend, training for a longer charity walk in a few months. Hope the weather holds.
Have a great day x
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Today Iām grateful for everything. The mostly clean kitchen in the morning and that I can turn on the loaded dishwasher now before I go to bed. Fresh laundry, it smells so nice. The vacuum cleaner. The two wood-burning stoves. Iām grateful that the PCs work, that I like my office@home and that the cats love me working at the office while they sleep in front of the stove Iām grateful Missi is a Mum-girl this week, I canāt go anywhere without her. Iām grateful for this lovely purring little furmonster lying on me right now.
Iām grateful @Dazercat posted this
Oh I know that so well. Snorring cats, snorring dogs, snorring parents, snorring husband, snorring me 
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