Recovery Stories Archives

15 01, 2018

The Day I Got Sober

Love and Recovery2020-11-11T15:25:43-08:00January 15th, 2018|Early Sobriety, Faith, Finding Me, Recovery Stories|0 Comments

I didn’t know it at the time. I didn’t know it at the time that my life had forever changed on this day, January 14, 2014. It wasn’t until five or six days later that I even realized that January 14 should be earmarked as a momentous day. I remember sitting in my back yard smoking a Capri menthol and realizing that I hadn’t had a drink in five or six days. (Yes, I used to smoke, and I smoked those sissy cigs…Capris. They felt a little more elegant than Marlboro Reds.) It was amazing that I hadn’t had a drink, but what was even more remarkable was that I wasn’t trying to “not” drink. I simply hadn’t had one and it hadn’t crossed my mind. It felt a bit different. I wasn’t “willing” myself to not have a drink. I wasn’t white knuckling it or struggling to stay [...]

14 11, 2017

Rituals to Enhance Sobriety

Love and Recovery2020-11-11T15:25:45-08:00November 14th, 2017|Early Sobriety, Joyful Recovery, Recovery Stories|0 Comments

I sashayed down Main Street feeling like Carrie Bradshaw from Sex in the City. Grinning, I looked people in the eye and said hello. I chatted with strangers as they stopped to pet my French bulldog, Stitch, and he was happy to oblige them. I have often compared downtown Huntington Beach to Beaver Cleaver land, where everyone knows you and your dog’s name, and where the neighbors are friendly and chit chat in their front yards about local happenings. It’s more than congenial. It’s jovial. And, tonight on this warm November evening, Stitch and I strolled down to the weekly Tuesday night street fair and farmers market. It’s within walking distance from our house, and it’s always fun to run into friends along the way. Our walks to the street fair are always pleasant, but tonight seemed different. It seemed magical. I felt like I had stepped right onto [...]

13 11, 2017

Permission To Be Me

Love and Recovery2020-11-11T15:25:45-08:00November 13th, 2017|Early Sobriety, Finding Me, Recovery Stories, Vulnerability in Sobriety|1 Comment

Remember in grade school when we had to bring a permission slip from our parents to do certain things? We had to have permission to go on a field trip. We had to ask permission to stay the night at a friend's house. We are trained from childhood that we need permission to do almost everything. Permission is ingrained in us from childhood. When we were toddlers, we acted out of instinct…we just did what we wanted. And, then we slowly got conditioned to look to others for permission. Now believe me, I know it’s for the safety of children that they must seek permission. As we enter grade school, permission takes on a whole new level and meaning. We are now interacting with other children, and we seek permission in other ways. We gage how kids respond to us and adjust our behavior accordingly. I believe I was [...]

10 11, 2017

Families, Forgiveness and Recovery

Love and Recovery2020-11-11T15:25:46-08:00November 10th, 2017|Families Recover, Recovery Stories|0 Comments

It was June 8, 1963. He rolled into town without a dime to his name. Stranded in a small Arizona town, yet he didn't feel stranded. I don't think stranded is a feeling he has ever felt. He was determined. He was resourceful. He acted on instinct. He was young and on fire. He was made of the streets. He couldn't be taken down by the small fact that he was flat broke in a western town on his way to the great state of California. He made his way into the local bar. The Canyon Club. The neon lights lit up the night with promises of comrade-re and hope. He shook hands and made friends quickly. People liked him, and they wanted to help. There were a few men who saw promise in this whipper snapper from Ohio. He was confident and cocky. Haley Gonzales bought him a few [...]

30 07, 2017

Beautiful Truth

Love and Recovery2020-11-11T15:25:46-08:00July 30th, 2017|Early Sobriety, Recovery Stories|0 Comments

The big beautiful truth! Wow! It sounds so easy. There's some old adage about the "ugly truth of things." It's funny, but upon reflection, I find that there's nothing ugly about the truth. It's an old story that I have been replaying in my mind for years. The false story is this. That I'm not enough just as I am. That somehow if I act and do like others, I will be liked and accepted. That pretending to be something I'm not is way better than just being good ol' me. Growing up and into my early adulthood, I have been a chameleon like no other. Tell me how to dance, and I will dance for you. When I dated a cowboy, I became a cowgirl with a big belt buckle and ropers to match. When I dated an iron man, I became an athlete (even though [...]

14 04, 2016

Sober is the new black…

Love and Recovery2020-11-11T15:25:47-08:00April 14th, 2016|Faith, Joyful Recovery, Recovery Stories|0 Comments

Sunday, February 22, 2015 is my seven year anniversary of sobriety. When we moved to Richmond, VA four years ago I was grateful for a fresh start; not for myself but for Sugar-britches. But guess who told our new friends about his mama’s recovery? Sugar-britches! Guess who won’t let a sober anniversary go by without going to an AA meeting to get my poker chip? Sugar-britches! He says, “Mama, it’s kinda a big deal”. Well, if he’s talking about God’s Grace, then he is so right! For Valentine’s Day, Prince Charming gave me a fancy set of medallions to put in a shadowbox. Each one has the Roman numeral for the year of sobriety it signifies. I have the actual plastic poker chips, but he thought I would be proud to showcase the fancy ones since “I LOVE fancy”! Be still, Heart. I have decided to embrace my story and [...]

11 11, 2015

Lifted Up In Sobriety

Love and Recovery2020-11-11T15:25:47-08:00November 11th, 2015|Faith, Joyful Recovery, Recovery Stories|0 Comments

Having lived in Northern Arizona the majority of my life, I have come to love the great outdoors. Hiking, biking and camping have always been at the top of my list. I find stability, which I lacked in my growing up years, in Mother Nature. We have such a variety of animals in the north woods, of which most I have been privileged to observe. My dream has always been to travel to Canada and to see some of it's wonders of nature. I saw a documentary on television about the migration of geese that happens naturally in Canada. Seeing this miracle of Mother Nature is on my bucket list. When I ponder all of the wonders that happen right in my back yard, I feel the sense of my higher power working tirelessly for all of us. It was no wonder, when I came upon this story about the [...]

1 11, 2015

Sweet Soulful Sobriety

Love and Recovery2020-11-11T15:25:47-08:00November 1st, 2015|Early Sobriety, Joyful Recovery, Recovery Stories|0 Comments

She was the problem. She was wild. I am not talking a little wild…I am talking wild to the core. She was so much fun. I just loved her, but she was the problem. It seemed that every time we got together, the cops were called and there was a ton of drama. Yes…she was the problem. We got off on being as crazy as possible, and I only recall memories of our time together with fondness. But deep down, I felt that if I distanced myself from her, I would distance myself from the craziness of alcoholism. I didn’t even realize that I was an alcoholic at the time. So, I walked away…somewhat consciously and somewhat unconsciously. Our lives diverged and we didn’t talk for many years. We didn’t have a falling out. We just simply migrated away from each other. We lived only a few short blocks from [...]

31 10, 2015

Being Sober is a Worthy Goal

Love and Recovery2020-11-11T15:25:47-08:00October 31st, 2015|Meditation, Recovery Stories|0 Comments

This morning I wake and ask myself, what really keeps me sober. In fact, how have I stayed sober from my drug of choice for ten years? I realize it was having the worthy goal to be and to stay a sober person, living a sober life. I committed to this goal and remind myself of it every day. I know that what my mind can believe & conceive, it can achieve. I work towards this goal with all my actions throughout my day. I realize that I am the sum of my thoughts thus far and if I make my thoughts positive and productive, clear and precise, so will be my life. Best of all, I’ve recognized the secret to happiness is freedom and the secret to freedom is courage. So start today to set a worthy goal to have the courage to stay sober one day at a [...]

21 10, 2015

I Choose to be Authentic

Love and Recovery2020-11-11T15:25:47-08:00October 21st, 2015|Early Sobriety, Faith, Recovery Stories|2 Comments

This article was written by Rene, founder of Love & Recovery, and first published on TinyBuddha.com. Click on the link to read the full article, Why We Need to Share Our Honest Feelings. She hurt my feelings. She was leaving soon to live in another country for up to six months. I knew that if I held on to my hurt, this resentment would fester, and my best friend would be the recipient of my anger. I prayed for courage to find the right words. I didn’t want to hurt her. I knew I had to say something or I would allow my hurt to manifest into something huge. The courage came, and I acted immediately. I dialed; my heart pounded. I was so afraid. She answered. The lump in my throat made me silent. I began to weep. I gently uttered, “I’m calling to tell you that you [...]

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