The quality of experience
 

Our lives are short, seasons pass in the length of an afternoon. All the people we love, our children, our parents, hang on by the thinest of threads to this life. I was recently quarantined with my children, two girls who are both less than two, a teenage boy - and I was struck by how long the days sometimes feel but how quickly these moments pass through my fingers, try as I might to hold onto them.

Sobriety is the ultimate gift. Above everything else I have done in my life - my physical fitness, my career, experiences, friendships etc - nothing has improved the quality of my life's experience in the ways that sobriety has. It has given me the most precious of all things - time. In thrall to the bottle is a waste of so many things - but a waste of your life's time most of all. There is nothing more meaningful that I can give to my kids, my wife, my self than presence. My ability to be present has improved and deepened and grown more expansive in sobriety. Nothing matters more, really.

The work that it took to get here, the changes and the adjustments - all more than worth it. Grateful.

Thanks for sharing this Less. Totally agree.

D

The wasted time, wasted relationships and wasted opportunities are the hardest to cope with...

Thanks for a great post. Sobriety is a true gift and can be full of precious memories each day; peace of mind being a true blessing 🙏

It's all about the Time. 🌺

A great post LessGravity.

L.P. Hartley — 'The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there.'

its hard, but I learned I can get stuck regretting the past - and let more days slip by me - or I can treasure the days I have now.

The past is done. Can’t be changed. But today and tomorrow- blank pages full of promise, man :)

D

Great post LG and I would agree 100% about the precious things that sobriety gives us back. The self-awareness that comes along with it also helps me see other areas in my life where I may not be putting my full effort into what is important. And yes....time is our most precious resource - I learned that even more over the last year than ever before in my life. I've been away from here for a while but I've known you here for many years, and I have to say I'm very happy to hear that you are sober - peace to you and your family.

This is beautifully stated. Thank you for writing and sharing this.

Awesome post, Less, and so very true!

Thanks LessG

Reminds me of the slogan: :)You can only keep what you have by giving it away.:)

So eloquently written. ....thank you

I so agree, LG. In sobriety I feel I am really living, and experiencing each moment with a vivid awareness. It is such a precious gift.

My life goes by in a flash. A succession of split seconds. Summer days lasted longer when I was a child and then a younger man. I've been very fortunate.

Thanks for your heartening thoughts, lg.

It's like Rush once sang:

Summer's going fast
Nights growing colder
Children growing up
Old friends growing older

Freeze this moment
A little bit longer
Make each sensation
A little bit stronger

Experience slips away
Experience slips away
The innocence slips away

Great post Less :thanks

Yes!!

Beautiful post lessgravity. All well-said. In my mid-50's, I finally know what it is to live a peaceful and meaningful life. This last year has been at times terrifying but in many ways, so beautiful. My sobriety is everything. Being sober and healthy allowed me to survive a case of COVID that tried to kill me, allowed me to be present every single day for my daughters, through a pandemic, through riots that were in sight of our home, I would not have been able to survive any of it with my kids if I had been drunk. But sober, we thrived together. Life is not perfect, but my thoughts are quiet and peaceful.

Love this post. Thank You!

Thanks for your beautiful and thoughtful post lessgravity.

This is a so true, and motivating. Thank you.