After being sober 28 years, I have many younger relatives who have never seen me drunk, using heroin or doing time in prison. Anything they know about my past is secondhand information about what my life used to be like before they were born.
And today I'm thinking about my 20-year-old granddaughter, who boarded a flight to San Antonio, Texas today, where she's going into basic training for the Air Force.
And when I was thinking about her leaving last week, prior to her going away party, the realization came upon me that had I not gotten sober January 9, 1991, I would've never had the experience of knowing her. Let alone seeing her grow up, graduate from high school, and then joining the Air Force.
Being sober this long has allowed me to witness many members of the younger generation of my family do much better than I did at their ages. Although I have to admit that it's not much of a challenge to do better than I did as a youngster.
Early in my sobriety, my sponsor told me that I wouldn't recognize my life in a few years. And he was right. I've had so many blessings come to me that I never even thought about.
Today I have a large extended family, five children, and many grandchildren.
I have the privilege of working in the same business for over 26 years and have seen more than half a million addicts and alcoholics come in and out of our doors. Some of them didn't make it because they hadn't had enough pain yet. But others have been sober for years.
Many of them have gone back to school and gotten their degrees. Others have started businesses. Some of them have gone into the recovery field themselves and are helping other people stay sober. And some have gotten married, and are raising children – children who hopefully will never grow up beneath the cloud of addiction or alcoholism.
But still, in spite of all the people I've seen succeed and do well, one of the biggest thrills is when I see members of my own family, children, and grandchildren living productive and sober lives. Something I would've never seen had I not gotten into recovery when I did.
schwary@msn.com
But still, in spite of all the people I've seen succeed and do well, one of the biggest thrills is when I see members of my own family, children, and grandchildren living productive and sober lives. Something I would've never seen had I not gotten into recovery when I did.
schwary@msn.com
