Yesterday, I posted a link to The Battle to Stay Sane and Sober on Facebook.
I got a phone call, texts, and Facebook messages expressing the most wonderful support and concern.
“Are you all right?!” I was asked.
Thank you for asking. More yes than no. I was asked what scared me. I am pondering and will share.
I posted a version of this follow-up comment on Facebook:
The essence of what I’m trying to say is this: I feel better when I drink wine every night. I haven’t had wine or beer or a drop of alcohol for 19 months. It makes sense that I’m not going to feel very good.
I am working, most days to exhaustion, to not drink and to find out what made me drink, and to find alternatives to drinking that soothe me like wine did. I, honestly, have not a doubt that I will find those ways and that my story will, some day, be one of transformation, redemption, perhaps as Anne Lamott writes, a resurrection story. Whatever. I cannot will that, however.
I have to just go through this. I am openly going through this by publishing my story on my blog. I am one of more than 15,000 people in and around our town estimated to have a drinking or drug problem.
Multiply my struggle by 15,000.
Maybe hug your local alcoholic or addict today?
You always have a hug here, maybe not a really tight hug, but always a hug. I enjoyed dinner last night! XOXO
Anne:
Consider yourself hugged by an old man in Roanoke.
Dan
I can feel your hug, Dan! Thank you! Consider yourself hugged by me, too!