LvWrAM123

I would NEVER encourage anyone to stick with a bad situation and "hope" things would improve. Lord knows I did that for too long as it was. However, when I first came to SR, I was desperate to read about some situations where things "worked out" or had a "happy ending." After being around here for awhile, I NOW know that there LOTS of ways for there to be a happy ending and I am glad that so many people here have found one, no matter what that looks like.

A year ago today, after the bottom fell out of my marriage and family, I dropped my husband off at rehab. This morning he brought donuts to AA to celebrate his sober birthday. It has been a LOT of meetings and therapies and tears and more, but I can honestly say we are in a MUCH better place today than a year ago, both before AND after "rock bottom."

I'm really proud of my husband for all he has done and continues to do to stay committed to his sobriety, and proud of myself and my own recovery so far. Just this afternoon, waiting for my doctor to call me back about some worrisome health issues, I caught myself "future tripping" and used my mindfulness skills to bring myself back to the present, experience my emotions (fear), let them pass, and stop myself from trying to control that which I have no control over.

I hesitated to post this because I don't want to contribute to sad feelings in those whose family member wasn't able to choose sobriety, and I know that a year is only a drop in the bucket, but a year ago, when things were so dark, it was hard to believe we could ever get to where we are now.

Our relationship is not perfect and we are not perfect, but we are both better people for having gone through the past year. At least for today, we are a "success" at working through alcoholism, addiction, and even infidelity and making it through the weeds and seeing that if we each keep working on ourselves and working "our program" that we have a chance of a positive future together.

lillamy

I'm always happy to hear when someone chooses sobriety and recovery, and manages to put their lives back together!!! I've seen it happen in real life, and when that commitment to recovery is there, you can work through it!

Congratulations!

LexieCat

Yay for both of you!! Yes, there are happy endings. They don't always end with the alcoholic getting sober, but when that does happen, it is cause for celebration.

Happy for you both!!

Jenibean87

I loved reading this! I'm about 4 months in to what I truly hope will be a success story. For the first time ever, my A is showing commitment to and excitement about his recovery, and also for the first time ever *I* have some recovery to show for myself! There are mountains left to climb, but I feel like I am getting a snapshot of what life could be like for us in the future. AND, I'm healthy enough today to know that if he doesn't stay sober and things with us deteriorate, it doesn't mean that I won't get a happy ending anyway.

Hooray for you!!

PohsFriend

Wait til that second birthday... Got to see that two months ago and 300 people got to see me cry like a little girl when my wife thanked me for never giving up on her. Year two was easier and so far year three is blissful.

I too worry about rubbing salt in the wounds of those who haven't written their happy ending yet but those looking for inspiration and desperately need to know its possible need to see it.

After almost three years in AA my wife is a different person, my god do I adore that woman ;-).

When I hit bottom and kicked her out I hated it but she's told me that if I hadn't she couldn't have hit bottom. It could have gone the other way....

Prayers to all of you but especially those in the eye of a storm tonight, just know that you can get through this and prayers get answered, sadly the answer is not always a yes.