As Carol said, more of us alcoholics die from our disease or its side effects then get sober. We need to learn that the only person we can keep sober is ourselfs and the only person we can get drunk is ourself.
I have learned to draw upon other peoples experience, strength and hope, but not to lean on it. I have found that I need to take actions to maintain my own sobriety and share those actions so that others may learn from them and take those same actions, but not lean on me.
Every time someone relapses I learn something, if they come back and share what they did that led to thier relapse I learn that, if they do not come back I simply learn just how cunning, baffling, and powerful alcohol is.
I have learned not to hang my sobriety on any one but myself.
This is sad to say, but true, many of us die of alcoholism to where some of us can live.