Mer,
Knowing that cravings are temporary and therefore riding it out rather than panicking is important. Cravings DO subside over time, they become less and less frequent, and ultimately shift into something more like a fleeting thought. Every once in a very long while I will be happily doing something and *poof* my brain will think "a glass of wine sure would be nice right now" or something similar. My first sponsor taught me to understand that my feelings are real, but they are not reality. Cravings are like that too.
This is a perspective that is useful far beyond early sobriety. Crappy days at work are temporary, arguments are temporary, cravings are temporary - but a single drink can have permanent, even fatal, consequences.
Great post!