I posted on my Facebook page that tomorrow, Saturday, November 18, 2017, marks 2000 days of sobriety for me.   So, theoretically, tonight I should be partying like it’s 1999.   And I am – in my own way. I did a Facebook live interview with my friend Holly Bertone/Pink Fortitude (http://www.pinkfortitude.com) about my book and tips for staying sober as the holiday season approaches. I hit a great meeting.   And I had lunch with a very dear friend whom I have known for over 25 years.

It was so great to see her but I wish it had been under different circumstances. Her younger sister just recently passed away after battling ALS. She was my age. ALS is an absolutely horrific disease that also took the life of my uncle a few years ago. We talked about her sister, her illness, the funeral, and about how everyone in her family was holding up. While there were some expected tears, there was a great deal of laughter. Despite the massive amount of grief my friend is enduring, she talked about her gratitude. Gratitude for her family, for her own health and for the memories she will always have of her sister.

Gratitude has been on my mind a great deal lately. Yes, Thanksgiving brings a major focus on gratitude. It’s been a topic in numerous meetings these days as well. It was even part of the lesson in my son’s religious education class this week. And let me tell you, fifth graders have some awesome ideas on gratitude. For me, gratitude has truly been a gift of my sobriety. As I shared in my last piece, I’ve been dealing with some health issues. Things are far from perfect in my life yet somehow, instead of feeling the constant sense of impending doom that I used to feel, I am confident that everything will turn out okay. That serenity and trust is nothing short of a miracle.

2000 days is a miracle as well. When I first started this journey, I didn’t think I could make it 2 hours, never mind 2 days. Or 20. Or 200. But 2000? Without a single sip of alcohol. Without turning to the bottle to numb the things I didn’t want to feel. Without relying on liquid courage.

On this journey, I gave up drinking. I gave up a way of life to which I was accustomed. I gave up my known means of escape. But what I have gained has been immeasurable. I gained serenity. I gained humility. I gained self-respect. And, like I said, I gained gratitude. Or I guess it’s more accurate to say that I gained the ability to be more grateful. Many friends I have met in my recovery are faithful about writing a gratitude list every day.   For some, the items on the list can be as basic as having a roof over their head and food in their stomach. Sobriety took them off the streets and gave them food to put in their mouth in place of alcohol.

The things for which I am grateful are far too numerous to list here. Suffice it to say that mainly I am grateful for the serenity that sobriety has brought me, in all aspects of my life. I am grateful for the ability to live my life being present. I am grateful for being able to learn from a friend who can laugh and be grateful even dark times.

“Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” ―Marcel Proust