I used to mow my lawn with a mixed drink at each end of a row mowed. Wow! I can't believe I couldn't walk more than 15 feet in one direction w/o taking a swig. I remember one year my solution to mowing the lawn was to lower the blade as low as it could go and that solved my problem. I didn't have to mow the lawn for the rest of the year because the grass got so burnt.
Now I enjoy planting flowers and trimming the landscaping around the yard.
I woke up this morning at 5:30AM. Yes- woke up and not just walked or stumbled in from a bar. And I awoke not to go down to the bathroom and puke. I've even made the Sunday service at church! Wow! I'm no longer praying to the porcelin Gods.
I went to the county fair and walked through the animal barns, enjoyed the 4H booth, and ate some cotton candy instead of visiting the beer tent!
I took my mom out to lunch on her birthday instead of summers passed where I avoided her calls when she was worried from not hearing from me but I was too drunk to answer the phone--- that's if I could even find it.
I visited the Bronx Zoo with my daughter 2 weeks ago and enjoyed the day sober looking at animals as opposed to hanging out with animals in a bar until closing time.
I have taken a liking to iced coffees instead of drinking coffee to sober up and to be able to drive. Honestly that never really mattered. There was never enough to sober me up.
I spent a few days last week cleaning out my closet and found shoes I never knew I'd purchased. My good taste never left me even when all I could taste was beer or the after taste of vomit on my breath in the past.
I've enjoyed reading many books so far this summer and have stopped being worried about reading my name on the front page or the police blotter of the paper.
Yes, how I spend my summer vacations has truly changed. I have truly changed. The weather today is beautiful. It's sunny outside and so am I inside. Life is good in recovery, life is great!
by Theresa Seeley
