Yesterday, our school staff had a catered lunch to celebrate one of our co-worker’s 60th birthday. She was just returning from major surgery and mentioned that she can’t do drugs (pain medication) but “gin and tonics helped.” (Many laughs and nods). The conversation that played out among the group had no fewer than half a Read More
Category: Recovery
I Surrender…
The word “surrender” connotes weakness in our culture. We tend to think of it as giving up. Waving the white flag, and therefore, losing. But what if what we have to lose is what’s been doing us harm? What if what we are holding on to, or fighting for, is our destruction in disguise? What Read More
What Keeps me Here
I’ve been thinking about the processes of starting and stopping, sliding and progressing, and even completely falling off the path. While the desire to move forward in a positive direction seems to have been planted somewhere deep inside, motivation is at best a flakey companion. I’ve had periods of time, okay decades, where I felt Read More
Here is Everything
This week, I lived. Living consisted of teaching, being a parent, and a wife. Running a house, helping a friend, caring for my dog. Exercise, dentist appointments, rapid-Covid-19 tests, high school volleyball games, coffee, and books. Riding the wave from sleepy Monday morning, to exhausted Friday afternoon. Nothing life-changing, or earth-shaking, but I’m so glad Read More
Recovery Spotlight: Women For Sobriety
A few days ago, I received a warm hug through the mail. My fellow blogger and dear friend Barb, sent me a Rosie Recovery Strong Women Coin to mark by second soberversary. And of course, a lovely card accompanied it, as it wouldn’t be Barb without the little extra. This acknowledgement of the two-year mark Read More
Choosing Me (Rather than Changing Me)
If you follow my blog or even just read it from time to time, you know I consider myself on a wellness journey. This journey began when I stopped drinking and started choosing me. Me over what society expects of me. Me rather than a version of myself crafted by norms and group think. When Read More
For Everything There is a Season
Anyone who has spent a large portion of their life stuck in addiction undergoes a major transformation once they break free. A course correction. A process of reassessing life and how it should be lived. An embracing of their true self; and of possibility. But it’s not clean-cut and tidy. There are pieces to pick Read More
My Issue
As most of you know, I am in a situation where someone close to me remains in the hospital after going through alcohol withdrawal and liver failure and now is trying to get well enough to enter rehab. I had a conversation with my mother-in-law about this situation and she made a comment that really Read More
Two Years of Sobriety: It is what it is
I’m glad I didn’t have any expectations around my second soberversary because it looks like it will be a party of one. COVID life is a great teacher of harboring no expectations. And while most people mark March 13 as the day the world shut down, I mark it as another year sober. This day Read More
Holding on to Hope
I’m writing this post to anyone who struggles with substance abuse or has a loved one who struggles, which is most of us. I’m writing from a place of shock and guilt, grief and some anger too. Someone close to me, exactly who I won’t disclose at this point, is in the hospital, fighting for Read More