7 years strong !!

[caring_hands]

I cant believe that today I am sober 7 years........it doesn't seem possible! It has been a challenging road but I know without a shadow of a doubt that the world is a better and safer place with me sober.....I also know that I have grown so much, still getting to know the sober ME which continues to be a journey....I know that I will never hurt anyone sober or kill someone....I know that I will never wake up feeling like I want to jump off a bridge because I am so embarrassed and depressed over the night before.

I thank god for SMART recovery because I am not sure I would have gotten sober if not for a program where I could take the wheel and drive my own sober road.......It is comforting to know that when I pop by the forums once or twice a year it is still here helping others who have come after me and that there are still so many here that came before me !!

The journey starts with the desire to quit......and then you just try it day after day......then you stumble sometimes..then you string lots of days together and you dont want to blow what you have worked so hard for .....then before you know it you have 6 months, then a year......then 3 and now 7 !! I hope this is the day your journey starts.......you deserve it ............

[Peg1960]

Caring hands
you are an inspiration! It does start with a desire to quit.Ive strung over 6 months together! I'm loving this new journey I'm on.
Its stories like yours that keep me moving forward.
Thank You and congrats!!
Peg

[Sam29]

So good to see you, caring hands. I agree with you, "The journey starts with the desire to quit......and then you just try it day after day......then you stumble sometimes..then you string lots of days together and you dont want to blow what you have worked so hard for .....then before you know it you have 6 months, then a year......then 3 and now 7 !! I hope this is the day your journey starts.......you deserve it ............ "

You made my day, my friend.

Love,
Sam

[caring_hands]

Peg good luck to you .....6 months is fantastic ....soon you will hopefully go beyond the point of no return....thats how it was for me ....I said if I made it a year I would not go back .....and so far I haven't.....I also did a Cost benefit Analysis and carried in my date book for years.......its still there ..so that any time I started to toy with the idea that I "could" probably drink again I would read it and remember why I quit to begin with .........and SAM !! hey there ........always so good to see a friendly "face" when I pop on over here .....our journey began just around the same time ..I remember you fondly ........hope all is well !!

[fenquat]

Hey, a special gift to start the month of July! Always nice to hear from you and to find you continue to do well. I remember when you got here and it wasn't an easy rise for you, but rise you did.

Stay well and enjoy!

[Peg1960]

Thanks caring-hands I appreciate your wisdom!
i will carry my CBA with me and think of your encouraging words
Peg

[gregr]

That is wonderful caring-hands! Congratulations, and thanks for posting this!

[caring_hands]

FEN !!! dear dear FEN........you helped me so much along my journey......I will never forget you ......and I am sooooooo impressed that you are still here, still helping ......XOXOXOXOXOX
PEG: it really helps to write your CBA when you are feeling like crap on a bag hangover day and then carry it with you always ....you forget sometimes how bad it feels.....you start to toy with the idea that "maybe I wasnt so bad" ...your head plays games with you ...so for me I had to keep the "bad video" close to me all the time so I wouldnt forget.....someone told me when urges come and you are tempted to "play the tape til the end" and you might not want to give in.....
GREGR: you are welcome and thanks for carrying on the volunteer tradition !! I wish I had the time to do it again ...but thanks to sobriety I went to school for the past 5 years and got a bachelors degree, then a masters degree and now I am a social worker working in a very busy psychiatric hospital with severely mentally ill patients .....so I dont really have much time unfortunately.....but SMART thrives on volunteers like yourself soooo a big THANK YOU !!

[Peg1960]

Thanks caring -hands
I will carry it. My last drink was Dec 18th. I have no plans for hangover days. They don't enter into my plans for my recovery and life
Peg

[caring_hands]

good for you and congrats !!!

[gregr]

That's awesome caring_hands! Going through all of that training, education, and helping others as a profession.

Gregr

[Dee]

caring_hands!!! I keep meaning to come here and say, SEVEN YEARS!!!! That's crazy! Good for you. I can't tell you what a nice feeling it is to read of your efforts and success and how you've seized hold of that. Much, much love to you, my sweet friend!! This thread has given me the best smile all week.

Dee

[Questor7]

Hi There Caring Hands
Huges congrats on your 7 years, not an easy feat for sure but you have indeed done it, stumbling through the day sometimes, yes, me too but on you go. I'm a big fan of that playing the tape to the end of the story, Dawg was the one who originally gave me that idea and it still comes in handy after all these years. Take care. Glad you stop by sometimes.
q7

[shelly808]

C o n g r a t u l a t i o n s ! ! !

"The journey starts with the desire to quit......and then you just try it day after day......then you stumble sometimes..then you string lots of days together and you dont want to blow what you have worked so hard for .....then before you know it you have 6 months, then a year......then 3 and now 7 !! "

I am so happy for you!!

[caring_hands]

Dee !!!!! ((((((((((((((((((((((Dee)))))))))))))))))))))))) love love love you my friend .........you helped me so much along the way !! I fell off the wagon for 3 years and you never gave up on me !!! keep smiling my friend ......life is good !!