Making the choice

If you're taking the time to read this, thank you. Creating this space and sharing my journey of sobriety has been on my heart for a long time so I am grateful for anyone who takes the time to be here with me. Whatever you take from my story, I hope is it one of inspiration and strength in knowing you can do anything you set your mind to.

My struggle with alcohol started many years ago. I had my first sip of alcohol my senior year of high school before I turned 18, and I took my last sip right before my 33rd birthday.

To get to know me a little more, you should know that my parents divorced when I was 3 because of my fathers struggle with alcohol, and my mom (who is a saint), raised me alone most of my life. My relationship with my father was pretty absent, but now it is more beautiful than ever (thats a whole other future post in itself).

I want you to know that not having a father growing up is not the reason I became an alcoholic. Heck, having an alcoholic father is not the reason I became an alcoholic. I became an alcoholic because I made the choice. Did I date men who weren't good for me because I yearned for attention for a man due to lack of a father figure? Sure. Did I date men that I met at bars knowing it probably wasn't the best choice? Yep. Do I have any regrets about the decisions I made? I wouldn't be human if I said no.

We all have a choice. It is our choices, and nothing else, that lead us down a path of destruction. It was my choice to drink and it was my choice to stop. The victim mentality will never save you. Only you will save you. The second I acknowledged that I had a problem was the second that I could start doing something about it.

In the posts to come, I will be sharing not only about the struggles of my journey, but the triumphs as well. As you read along, remember to take the time to celebrate your own victories too. It doesn't have to be sobriety, but if it is I commend you. It can be that you didn't hit snooze on your alarm clock or that you drank more water than yesterday. It could be that you took time to eat well or didn't get angry with your spouse because you are working on your mental health.

Whatever your win is today, I see you. And I celebrate you. And I look forward to sharing my journey with you.