believe in me during times I no longer believed myself by stepping out of the shadows of addiction and into the light of my recovery. Although my alcohol addiction was a private war waged on myself, my loved ones were quite often unwitting soldiers on the front lines beside me. Now that I have raised my white flag, they can put down their weapons, rest easily beside me, and turn their attention to areas it belongs to these days. I cannot go back and change the past, nor would I want to. I cherish my life—the light, the dark, and all the shades between. But my story doesn’t end with my putting down the wine bottle; that was just the beginning. My story continues by picking up the pen and signing my name with it. In doing this, I now own my story, my story no longer owns me. The following December morning, I again woke early and discovered my first published article was indeed out there on the web for all the world to see—my photo and full name right along with it. I took another one of those big, expansive breaths, and let a few tears fall as the enormity of the moment sunk in. My dad was the first to email—a man of great emotion but few words. “You make me feel proud to be your father.” And not long after, my phone rang. It was my mother, who again I could tell was smiling. This time it was her with the question: “Can I share it with my friends?” For so long I worried about people knowing just how addicted to alcohol I had been. With each passing month, I worry about that less. Instead, I’m choosing to spend my energy letting them know just how well I am recovering.
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker