One of the best things about being sober is the sleep. I have not slept this great since I was in high school! I LOVE to crawl into my bed at the end of a long, productive day, knowing I don't have anything to regret and so much to be thankful for in this world. I used to fear bedtime before I stopped drinking. I used to have such anxiety around sleep, and I would drink to have to soothe my mind and to make myself fall asleep. I would have that extra drink just to ensure that

It's really hard to get into a routine during the summertime when the kids are in and out all day and while their schedules change each week. Hockey camp this week. Flag football camp the next. If it's raining, that means early pickup from camp one day or maybe a playdate is cancelled at the pool because it's thundering. It requires a lot of flexibility, and it can be exhausting for someone like me that thrives off of routine. I am a planner and always have been. I have to pr

Walking the country club golf course near our house as a child in the cold, dark winter afternoons, I would look up at the large houses looming above. “Where are the people that live there?” I would ask my father. We would all stop walking for a moment and would peer up into the darkened windows, as the sun began to set on the horizon behind us. My sister and I all wondered why there was little to no activity in these large, stately homes that loomed above us. Occasionally a

PERMA, according to Martin Seligman: 1. Positive emotions – feeling good 2. Engagement – being completely absorbed in activities 3. Relationships – being authentically connected to others 4. Meaning – purposeful existence 5. Achievement– a sense of accomplishment and success Experiencing these five important building blocks of well-being allows one to experience happiness. It allows one to be grateful and feel fulfilled. Happy. Free. Sobriety provides me with this on a daily

I came home from spending the morning with a group of ladies that are kind, thoughtful and always ask about me. How am I doing? I had a nice conversation with a friend that I hadn't seen in a while, who wanted to talk openly about my sobriety. It made me feel seen. Heard. Understood. I appreciate when people acknowledge the struggle that I have been through and aren't scared to talk about it. Sometimes it seems like no one wants to bring it up for fear of upsetting me or "cat

The wedding weekend was a huge success. My sister looked beautiful and was so happy. Despite the rain, everything fell into place for her and Brian. Things went so smoothly, and the cold, wet weather only added a level of coziness to the day that we didn't know we needed. For me, I completed a new level of my sober journey, that I always thought would be so challenging. But in the end, the experience was so incredibly wonderful and rewarding. Friday night at the rehearsal din

My sister is getting married tomorrow. Even though I have been preparing for this event for months, it is hugely anxiety producing. I feel nervous for some reason. I need to just focus on Laura and know that this is her weekend. It’s all about her and Brian. Even though I have been sober for a while now and have been to plenty of social events without drinking and feel confident in my alcohol free footing these days, weddings carry a whole new set of challenges. And being aro