Mags1

Congratulations on 500 days, head lump, you surely are an inspiration xx

Olive1

Well said, Headlump!

MidnightBlue

Oh, HeadLump, sorry I am a little bit late to the party!

But I am here - with a big bouquet of beautiful summer flowers, and my hand-made cake crafted for this occasion)

So so so many congratulations on this great milestone, my friend!

I so love your post - you've put the essence of sobriety in a few beautiful poignant lines. I can so relate to this both literally and figuratively - no need to keep my eyes to the ground being ashamed of myself. I can let my face feel the sun warmth, and let sunshine go to the darkest places of my past, without being mortally afraid what I can discover there. I can see clearly now)

You are a such a kind, thoughtful, caring person, HeadLump. So glad that you are here with us)

Be proud of yourself, my friend!

SonomaGal

I love your whole post. Thank you, thank you! The peace and knowledge of your last 2 sentences sum up everything I am working towards. Congratulations on 500 plus days!!!!!!!

DisplacedGRITS

Congrats, HeadLump! I really love the imagery in your post. I think about all of the lovely days I spent drunk, hiding inside. Going outside was scary. I could manufacture clouds around myself on a sunny day. My soul was perpetually overcast. I preferred the gloom to the sun. It was so much easier to hide. The light around me felt like an assault. No, I must not be a creature meant for sun....

Now, I feel the sun, even on a rainy Seattle day. I feel the light in my heart and I have decided to live with that beacon shining for all to see. I carry the sun in my soul and I love to let it shine. Eye contact and a smile. It's amazing how that feels now. Since my sun is shining inside, I have no fear of eye contact and a smile. With the sun in my soul, I see rainbows where I used to see gloom. The rain just gets me wet now. It doesn't get me down.

Recovery isn't about avoiding the storm. It's about learning to dance in the rain!*

*portions of this statement have been blatantly stolen from internet pages about awesome quotes.*

HeadLump

Thank you so much for this, Midnight. What a beautiful post. So glad you are feeling the warmth of the sun

HeadLump

Thank you, Sonoma!

HeadLump

Yes! That's exactly how it feels! I smile all the time now - genuine smiles from deep inside. I feel a real connection to other people and to nature and want to celebrate that