September is Recovery Month. The fact that it falls in September holds special meaning for me because on September 20, 2022, it will have been 22 years since I made the decision to stop drinking and to get and to stay sober.
I got sober in my 30s. I was just so sick and tired of being sick and tired. Life seemed pointless. And that was unacceptable to me. I had two beautiful daughters who needed a father (mine died when I was 18), and I could no longer look away from the reflection in the mirror. It was time, and I knew it. My first call was to Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers.
The best gifts of my recovery have been the connections I have made. For me, spirituality is founded on the recognition that we are not alone and that we need each other. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness, it is an act of courage. The first and most important thing I did was to ask someone else for help. When I did, the hand of recovery was there for me. Many of those friendships, forged in the fires of my early recovery, are still there.
I am not a believer in “signs.” Having said that, 2 years ago I celebrated 20 years in recovery, something that seemed impossible in the beginning when I found 24 hours (or even 24 minutes) to be a moon-landing-level challenge. I remember thinking something along those lines that morning when I looked down at my watch to see what time it was. It was 9:20 on 9/20/2020. Was that a “sign”? I remain skeptical. But it was an interesting coincidence that I have thought about many times since. It was, at a minimum, a reminder that recovery is special. That life is special. Because life is meant to be lived. And, sometimes, we need to open ourselves to the possibility that we don’t have it all figured out. Nor do we need to. Sometimes we just need to truly see what is in front of us and be grateful that we are alive. Through eyes that are clear and sober. Happy Recovery Month! Remember, LCL can help.