One year sober today. This past week has been kind of rough and I wonder how much these anniversaries affect people in the program. I woke up and it's snowing outside! Yesterday sixty degrees, today snow? Whatever the circumstances, today is a great day to be sober!
(Being hinky at one year is common, I was a mess for a month coming up on my first year, somehow getting my chip alleviated it, as a matter of fact being a little weird around each year around anniversary is not uncommon but year one is bumpy more often then not, somehow it's "real" now and it's like our alcoholism gives one final push, one last flare up, one last battle, because it knows if we make a year we can "do it" and stay sober)
-- Edited by AGO on Saturday 20th of March 2010 10:14:48 AM
__________________
Build a man a fire and he will be warm for a night, light a man on fire and he will be warm for the rest of his life
(Being hinky at one year is common, I was a mess for a month coming up on my first year, somehow getting my chip alleviated it, as a matter of fact being a little weird around each year around anniversary is not uncommon but year one is bumpy more often then not, somehow it's "real" now and it's like our alcoholism gives one final push, one last flare up, one last battle, because it knows if we make a year we can "do it" and stay sober)
-- Edited by AGO on Saturday 20th of March 2010 10:14:48 AM
Justin,
Congrats on a year. Don't forget to thank those responsible for your sobriety.
1. God 2. AA 3. Your sponsor 4. The guy you see in the mirror when you shave
I agree with AGO that at one year I felt a little out of sorts. I did not yet fully believe that I deserved to be Happy, Joyous and Free. Mine went even further in that around my second anniversary I started to have the old thoughts of suicide. One major difference was that I had been in AA long enough to recognize that these thoughts were not right. I sought out professional help and resolved it mostly via the doing the AA program.
Larry, -------------------------- "Untreated alcoholism without the steps on a daily basis will make my past my future."
Larry_H wrote: Mine went even further in that around my second anniversary I started to have the old thoughts of suicide. One major difference was that I had been in AA long enough to recognize that these thoughts were not right. I sought out professional help and resolved it mostly via the doing the AA program.
Larry, -------------------------- "Untreated alcoholism without the steps on a daily basis will make my past my future."
SSSHHHH
LARRY!!!!
Holy Mother of God don't tell him about year 2 LOL!!!!
(SD year 2 is a tuffy as well, just get through 1 for now LOL)
__________________
Build a man a fire and he will be warm for a night, light a man on fire and he will be warm for the rest of his life
My first relapse was at day 121, then again around 60 day marks. I've yet to see a 6-month coin. Another yo-yo in my home group has two 1 year medallions and enough 30/60/90's to stock his own Beginner's Group.
I have stopped counting days. Every relapse shed more arrogance from me. Am I humble enough to be sober another day?
Congratulations, one year of hard work for you, and those one day at a time just keep moving like the hands in the clock on the wall, the only constant thing in life we can be sure of is constant change.
Every year for most of us, well I can only speak for myself, the week before any sobriety anniversary I always feel just a little off balance, or whatever you want to call it.
The only year that I did not feel that way was the day after 9/11, and that was because I complete forgot I had a sobriety anniversary on 9/12.
Wish as the season changes to Spring that I could experience one day of snow....but that is just one day..:)
Hope whatever you do, you can relax and have a wonderful God Filled day with friends you love.
A big hug Justin, oops! almost forgot... get out the plates...
Justin! I missed it yesterday, so I hope today was another good to be sober day. I do think a year is an important aniversary. A year seems like an eon in the beginning. So many good things happen as we work the program. A lot can change in a year. Happy Birthday.
I appreciated your post because that's my next milestone and the last 1 year anniversary person I celebrated here locally slipped and went out a week or so later. In fact I had to serve her. Horrible. So I have some trepidation about even counting. She's back in now and she says it was as if she had decided to put her program on cruise control and the twisted sister in her brain said, "See, you can quit, you did it for a year, so let's go have some fun now."
I've gotten here late for this one but congratulations anyway! That first year is quite an uphill job and I'm glad to see you made it. What a miracle you are! I look forward to knowing you.
I came back to edit and answer your question about whether it gets a little weird around birthdays. For me, it has and does more on some than others. For some reason, number one was kind of weird just before and then five, 10 and 25. I think it's because those were times that my disease tried harder to tell me, "Hey, you've gotten this far. This is a BIG deal! Maybe you're not an alcoholic." My disease knows I'm not going to listen if it just speaks right out with a voice, so it gets real subtle and picks at my weak links. I haven't hit 25 yet for a couple of months but I'm reinforcing my sobriety by spending more time with my Big Book, inventory (yep, I've done more than one as I've gone along) and spending more time with other recovering people.
Most important of all, hugging up close to my Higher Power and another alcoholic fends off that slippery time around birthdays for me.
-- Edited by Ellen E on Thursday 25th of March 2010 02:43:18 PM
-- Edited by Ellen E on Thursday 25th of March 2010 02:47:42 PM
