Hi Marchers! Welcome to another day of real life, real feelings, real relationships, and experiencing each and every moment of it all.
For me, Easter is a big deal. Today is Good Friday, and I've been meditating on Psalm 22 all morning (it's a deep insight into Jesus' heart as He died). Sunday we'll wake up to Easter baskets and eggs for the girls, then worship with my closest friends, then hubby's dad is coming over for dinner. I'm leading one of the songs Easter morning ... it's called "We Remember" by Newsboys and I LOVE it! I haven't completely decided on dinner yet ... I'm thinking a pork tenderloin marinated in a spicy terayaki sauce, honeydew mango salsa (served over the meat), cheesy potatoes, some sort of asparagus, a fruit salad, and probably blueberry pie for dessert (my hubby's favorite ... I'm not a pie fan). We probably won't serve any wine, as hubby's dad isn't much of a drinker. We will probably pick up another straggler guest or 2 in the next couple days, too ... I like to keep my eyes open for anyone who might be alone and invite them over.
Mirage, I'm so sorry about your friend.
Elfgirl, I'll be praying for you, for a peaceful spirit as you entertain family and friends this weekend.
Bella, forever is a tough one to wrap my mind around, too. And, I also kinda fell into this sobriety thing when I wouldn't have said I was very ready ... my doctor just told me to quit, so I did. I'm glad to see you know of people who've succeeded in those circumstances! We can do this. Our actions are a choice. Remember the motivation vs. determination thing that I posted a couple weeks back? I believe determination is a MUCH greater factor in the success of any endeavor. If it's bothering you that you kept the cognac and wine, then dump it.
Kim, I'm so glad you're feeling better and it was just a normal part of the life of a woman. I have 3 daughters ... I do tend to recognize this one.
Bevin, I like you, and I have fabulous taste so you must be cool! (ha ha!!!) On a more serious note, though, I get the space thing. That was one of the first things I noticed about not drinking .... I suddenly had all this extra time. Quite honestly, I've been going to bed earlier than I used to in order to use some of it, and I feel much better during the day now because of that. I'm still waiting for the creative bug to hit me, and some of the other "highs" that I had hoped for. Hopefully they're coming.
SO NICE TO SEE YOU TOI!!! I missed you. Welcome back!
Laura, I'm so sorry about your dog. Good for you for thinking through your response, though. I've never woken up and thought to myself, "I wish I'd gotten plastered last night ... that would have really helped the situation." Be proud of yourself, my friend, for allowing yourself to feel and deal with the issue in a healthier way. And, as Dee pointed out, you'll be there for your dog when she needs you most. That's awesome.
And, I also get the "reckless" thing .. it's a self-deprecating, destructive feeling for me. I remember when I was 19, living with 5 other girls and working at Walt Disney World and one night it felt like everyone hated me. My response was reckless ... an "everyone hates me so I might as well hate myself and hurt myself" attitude that resulted in the first time I got drunk. I did vodka shots until I passed out, even though I hated them. One person did stay with me and made sure I kept breathing through the night. Thank goodness. I didn't really drink again after that for many, many years. I wish I'd learned my lesson for life then. But, we can't go back in time. We CAN make the future better, though.