Today is My Sobriety Birthday
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Today is My Sobriety Birthday
January 3rd, is etched in my brain as my last drink, and I attended my first AA meeting 3 days after that. The trouble is I've lost track of what year that was or how old I was.
I think today marks 24 years of sobriety. I'm confident enough to place a small bet on that. Nevertheless Jan 3rd is meaningful, and unlike the count, that date is etched in my brain, probably because it never changes, whereas the count changes every year.
But who's counting? Well, apparently me, I guess. But if this means anything to those in new recovery, one year of sobriety was a much bigger deal in my life than 24. Also years 2,3, 4, and 5. Those are heady milestones that can boggle anyone's mind, and they deserve to be relished with pride.
I think today marks 24 years of sobriety. I'm confident enough to place a small bet on that. Nevertheless Jan 3rd is meaningful, and unlike the count, that date is etched in my brain, probably because it never changes, whereas the count changes every year.
But who's counting? Well, apparently me, I guess. But if this means anything to those in new recovery, one year of sobriety was a much bigger deal in my life than 24. Also years 2,3, 4, and 5. Those are heady milestones that can boggle anyone's mind, and they deserve to be relished with pride.
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Thats an awesome share DriGuy! I am coming up on 3 (provided I keep doing what I need to do every day!) - and that is my fave number so I think it's a cool milestone.
And I like the fact that someone with as much sobriety as you still "counts" some way - it's hard to see people with so much sobriety drink again, so remembering your start is a great reminder to us early folks.
And I like the fact that someone with as much sobriety as you still "counts" some way - it's hard to see people with so much sobriety drink again, so remembering your start is a great reminder to us early folks.
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Originally Posted by August252015 
Thats an awesome share DriGuy! I am coming up on 3 (provided I keep doing what I need to do every day!) - and that is my fave number so I think it's a cool milestone.
And I like the fact that someone with as much sobriety as you still "counts" some way - it's hard to see people with so much sobriety drink again, so remembering your start is a great reminder to us early folks.
And I like the fact that someone with as much sobriety as you still "counts" some way - it's hard to see people with so much sobriety drink again, so remembering your start is a great reminder to us early folks.
And it is even harder for me to understand why old timers slip. I was disturbed watching that happen to a friend of mine two years ago, and it ended up with him dying of some liver dysfunction.
No matter how many years a person has, or how ingrained or unconscious it is to not take a drink, it's still a choice one makes. With my friend, I often wonder what caused it. He was going through a hard time from a situation entirely of his own making, but why he turned back to the bottle is a mystery to me. It was like throwing gasoline on a fire he started himself, but I guess there are things we have to accept that we will never understand.
On the other hand, I draw strength from people here who seem to have figured this recovery thing out, and I actually draw strength from their success. We are all in this together.
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I think today marks 24 years of sobriety.
Great line!
I have to think about my sobriety date too. While I don't have anywhere near the amount of sober time that you do, the unit of time I use to measure my sobriety is years.
In the beginning it was hours. I remember many times trying to make it to 100 hours because that meant that my withdrawal symptoms were done.
After awhile the unit of time to measure my sobriety became days, and then weeks, months, and years.
And after awhile you lose count because sobriety has simply become "a way of life."
Great line!
I have to think about my sobriety date too. While I don't have anywhere near the amount of sober time that you do, the unit of time I use to measure my sobriety is years.
In the beginning it was hours. I remember many times trying to make it to 100 hours because that meant that my withdrawal symptoms were done.
After awhile the unit of time to measure my sobriety became days, and then weeks, months, and years.
And after awhile you lose count because sobriety has simply become "a way of life."
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Originally Posted by GingerSnow
Congratulations!! I'm very grateful that you come to share on this forum. It really helps us newbies see that people can be successful at quitting, and for good. Thank you.
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Originally Posted by Zebra1275
I think today marks 24 years of sobriety.
Great line!
I have to think about my sobriety date too. While I don't have anywhere near the amount of sober time that you do, the unit of time I use to measure my sobriety is years.
In the beginning it was hours. I remember many times trying to make it to 100 hours because that meant that my withdrawal symptoms were done.
After awhile the unit of time to measure my sobriety became days, and then weeks, months, and years.
And after awhile you lose count because sobriety has simply become "a way of life."
Great line!
I have to think about my sobriety date too. While I don't have anywhere near the amount of sober time that you do, the unit of time I use to measure my sobriety is years.
In the beginning it was hours. I remember many times trying to make it to 100 hours because that meant that my withdrawal symptoms were done.
After awhile the unit of time to measure my sobriety became days, and then weeks, months, and years.
And after awhile you lose count because sobriety has simply become "a way of life."
I understood immediately why 1 day chips and 6 month chips were so important in AA. I drilled holes in my chips and kept the most current one on my key chain. I did that for 15 years or so until I stopped going to meetings, and that's when I started losing track.
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