There will be bad days. You dont have to drink. This might have been the hardest thing for me to “re-learn”. For decades, bad news was chased with alcohol. Never once did it dawn on me that all that alcohol did nothing for the bad news…with the exception of deepening depression and a nasty hangover.
Recently in one 24 hour period I experienced the following" 1) finding out my niece has a rare cancer that there isnt a cure for, 2) my mom being hospitalized, 3) my nephew facing a possible medical discharge from the Marine Corp, 4) my brother-in-law having serious medical issues, 5) my brother-in-law working at a place, and being present during an active shooter.
Pretty shitty day. What would drinking have done? Absolutely nothing. The way I see it, it would have been the most selfish thing I could have done. As alcoholics and addicts, we hold those around us hostage. Our temperament, our time, our resources all sink into our addiction. We are the center of the universe, and everything else is secondary. Staying sober allows us to be there for them.
It’s ok to be sad, angry, confused, frightened. Being sober allows us to process those feelings and then move on with life. Drinking numbs those feelings, leaving them unresolved. Festering feelings that leak into other parts of our lives.
Thank you for reminding me (us) why it’s just so important to be living in the moment; life can change for us, and for all the ones we love most in a blink of an eye, and we need to be ready for it…living a life dulled by alcohol or drugs takes our freedom and opportunity of being there for others away…just another thing it steals.
Thank you for reminding me of this very real truth. My prayers go out to your loved ones…may the blessing of strength be with you all.
@michaeljlogan74 there will always be bad days, some worse than others…taking any substance that alters your mind, simply doesnt help in the long term, nor the short term.
