Monday, April 02, 2012

Grateful to be sober



todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

to be shown better ways of living

that it is really pretty easy to live properly; it takes no more effort than to live poorly

OK.
At the recovery center where I attend most of my AA meetings, we experienced a really tough week.
 On Monday, a 34 year-old guy died after battling liver cancer for the past 5 years.  He died sober.
On Wednesday a friend died from an overdose of inhalants.  He was a chronic relapser who at one time had 6 years sober, but over the past 10 years had many slips.  
On Friday, another close friend tried to commit suicide by shooting himself in the head.  He lies in critical condition today.  It's still too early to know if he'll survive.  If he does, he may have limited brain function.
On Saturday, a best friend of one of my sponsees died from an overdose.

Today, I'm grateful to be sober and have a defense against that first drink.  You know, the drink that will kill me.

The only limits in our life are those we impose on ourselves.
- Bob Proctor

6 comments:

Pammie said...

So grateful that we truly understand the very last line of your post this morning...it is the missing piece of the puzzle for so many people. It is the first one....always.

Mary Christine said...

I'm sorry you are going through all of this. I don't mean to be funny, but the only word I can think of for these tragic deaths is "sobering."

Syd said...

That is a tough week. Glad that you are here, alive and sober. Take care, Dave.

SoberMomWrites said...

Oh dAAve...I am so sorry you and your friends are going through this but I am so grateful that you are able to go through it sober.

Blessings to you today.

Sherry

Furtheron said...

tough reminders - it has been a while since I had one, last year lost a lady I thought had finally got it after years of relapsing - I was wrong... so so sad

gonefishin' said...

dave,

It is nice to see you are still writing and spreading the message.
Your friend in sobriety,

sirreene