I still remember the tough time I had for the 5 months leading up to this date 24 years ago. I hope never to have to go through that again. Of course the 10 years leading up to my bottom were quite unpleasant as well.
Sobriety is not a gift, it is a choice. It is not handed to anyone, it has to be worked for. And it is not guaranteed, it is only a daily reprieve. I an thankful I have the tools to help me to make that choice on a daily basis.
Life isn’t easy, but at least today I am awake for it. Problems are no longer insurmountable, just difficult. Nothing has now, or ever was, handed to me; but today I know how to get on the path that leads to a a reachable goal. (Except the path where I buy a lottery ticket.)
The goal was always impossible to get to. That is because I wanted to take a short cut. Today I know the goal is about taking the next step in front of me. One leads to two, leads to the goal. There is no way to shorten that path. The biggest example of that lesson for me was my son’s adoption. On the face of it the initial thought of being a dad was an impossibility. We didn’t have the money or the skill to be at the end of the adoption process. But we could go to a support group. We could take it 1 step at a time. We could hold onto a thread of hope. We could hear how other gay people accomplished it. We could hire a social worker, we could plan a move to a bigger apartment, we could take advice on which lawyer to hire. Then we could listen to the lawyer and hire an assistant to aid us in the process. And all along the path we could trust God. God is what I have nicknamed my higher power. Our miracle child was born on May 29, 2003 and I was in the delivery room, turns out I didn’t even dream big enough! I did the work to get to that point, I walked through every step, I showed up for myself, and I did not do it alone. I now know nothing is impossible, I just have to have the willingness to work for it.
And it’s all about the 12 steps. And they don’t have to be about powerlessness over alcohol. You can substitute anything that is a problem in your life. These tools are simple and remarkable. And I am grateful to have them to guide me in my life. I am grateful for the spiritual path they have led me to.
I don’t always like the life I have today, but I am grateful that I have it. And for that I thank my higher power, one day at a time.
You are so right! After trying everything else, when you lean on God for help and guidance, it works. Congratulations!
This brings joy to my heart and tears to my eyes. I lived with the swirl of alcoholism around me my entire young life… but thanks to God, I cannot tolerate alcohol very well. With my genetic predisposition, this is a great gift. My children and grandchildren have never felt what I felt as a child and young adult and this is a great gift, too. YOU, my friend, are a great gift to all who know you and I honor your great strength of heart, spirit and courage… to write this, to live with such positive energy and to teach. That is a great gift, too. Someone, somewhere, will learn this gift from you today. Thank you. Thank you. Love you.
congratulations, Mitch!!
Congratulations, Mitch! You are an inspiration to so many. Thank you for sharing!
Congratulations Mitch. That’s a huge accomplishment.
Dearest Mitch,
Wouldn’t the world be an even more amazing place if we could all just understand we share the same 24 hour day. Congrats on walking those 12 Steps on a daily basis for so many years!
You are awesome Mitch!
I am so proud of you, it takes a huge heart to share personal things especially on your blog. Keep taking each day one at a time, and each blessing will continue to flow. 8)
Amazing and admirable. I love when others share honest and personal stories on such an open forum- I know it takes courage and can be therapeutic all in one. Bravo <3
This is amazing! Congratulations to you and many more years of sobriety! I’m so excited for you and your family to be able to celebrate the beauty of life.
You are all amazing.
Congratulations Mitch. You’ve accomplished so much more than sobriety: your husband, your family, your LIFE!
What an awesome post! You have said many great positive things and although I’m not sure if it is something I want to say “congratulations” too since I’m sure it hasn’t been easy, I would like to say that I admire you ! I’ve attended a few AAA meetings with my father but he never truly quit drinking 🙁 I think it contributed to his death causing him ulcers, cancer and complications of treatments which ultimately caused his death.
Congrats Mitch! You have come a long way! I admire you for sharing your story!
Joey
Happy birthday Mitch! You should be very proud of yourself!
Congratulations on your sobriety!!
Congrats Mitch! This is absolutely moving and a wonderful testament to how far you’ve come!
I’m so proud of you and truly blessed to have you as a friend.
Xoxo
Haley
Congratulations, dear friend. You’ve worked hard and I’m so happy for you.
Congrats to you. I know 2nd hand how hard it is to stay sober even after many years of sobriety. My own father was an alcoholic. He died of it, even after being sober for nearly 20 years. When my step-mother died, he fell off the wagon and it killed him slowly over the course of the next 10 years. I am not trying to be a downer here, but rather sharing my story so that others who may not understand what your battle means will. It is never over for an addict. It truly is a day at a time for the rest of their lives. Sending you loving energies to help you on your continued journey!
Congratulations!
Congratulations. So happy for you
Congrats to you for a great choice!
Happy Birthday! I know what it’s like to walk that road, but by the Grace of God & the fellowship of a great program I have a life today I couldn’t imagine before June, 1985. Those 12 steps are a blueprint to LIVE – and applying them is sometimes the hardest thing to do – but, like the Footprints in the sand,,, it is then that our Higher power carries us! Congrats, hope you have many, many more Sober Birthdays, One Day @ a Time!!!!!
This has to be one of the best blog posts I have read in a long time! =) Everything happens to us all for a reason. Our mistakes and wrong turns make us who we are! Congratulations to you on your wonderful accomplishment! Best wishes!
These are great word of wisdom. My higher power is also God. God has gotten me through many a tough time and he continues to do so day by day. Thank you so much for sharing