A Sobering Perspective

I don’t always respond to the Day One prompts WordPress offers every morning when I wake up. But, on occasion, I find one that I can answer from a unique perspective. Like this one:

What was the hardest personal goal you’ve set for yourself?

Honestly, when I first read it, I thought, “How stupid.” But then, it kept nagging at me so I naturally wondered how I might actually respond to this prompt.

By far, the hardest personal goal I ever set for myself was getting clean and sober. You see, I discovered that I’d developed an allergic reaction to drugs and alcohol that caused me to break out in a rash of handcuffs—and not the fun kind.

This past August, August 12 to be exact, I celebrated 30 years of continuous sobriety. Why throw in continuous? Well, because I’m reminded of a friend who, when asked how long he’d been married, he’d ask “Continuously to the same woman or all combined?”

You see, for me, getting clean and sober didn’t happen all in one moonshot. It took numerous attempts over the course of several years. I got sober long after I knew I had a problem. Finally, after hitting rock bottom and realizing that staying the course would either lead me to jail or to my death, the Lord graciously led me to a Twelve Step community that changed my life.

It didn’t happen instantly. It happened slowly, one day at a time, surrounded by people who understood what I was going through because they themselves had gone through it.

WANT help? Visit aa.org

You can come out the other side. But, I’ve found you’ve got to want what I have bad enough to work to get it. Because, it only works if you’re willing to work it.

So yes, sobriety is by far the most important goal I ever set for myself and continues to be one I set for myself daily, every morning that God blesses me with another opportunity to take a fresh breathe of air.

I am dedicating this post to my late friend Wendy Risdon, who passed away after a long and courageous battle with cancer this past week. She was a faithful reader of this blog since the early days. When we worked together we spent a lot of time talking about the impact of alcohol and addiction because she was married to someone who struggled with it. Godspeed, my friend. May the Lord welcome you with open arms. RIP.