Two Years Sober

It has officially been two years since I've had a drink. That is actually nuts if you grew up with me, or knew me well in my 20s and most of my 30s. Nobody loved alcohol as much as me...except my husband. 

I was telling my friends today, that it is easy now. 97% of the time, I have no desire to drink. On the rare occasions that I get the craving, I can easily "play it forward." I have over two decades of experience that I can draw on, that tells me exactly what the outcome will be if I drink. I don't want any of that. 

Peace and self-respect are priceless. I'm beyond grateful for the opportunity to set an example for my kids. I love the honest conversations that we have about peer pressure, temptation, genetics, dependence, addiction, goals, etc. My lifestyle and preferences are not because I'm self-righteous or judgmental, it's all a result of lived experience. 

I'm protective of my time. I don't want to waste a second of it drinking excessively and/or hungover. I don't want to waste it having the thoughts and feelings I only had when I was drinking. A few months before my Dad was diagnosed with internal melanoma, he said to me as he was leaving my house "I recently saw a quote that read 'The definition of hell is coming to the end of your life, and realizing you didn't reach your potential'." I will not let alcohol keep me from reaching my full potential.