To My Husband on the Third Anniversary of His Sobriety
Your journey has taught me what perseverance means
It’s been three years. Three years of saying no to the alcohol, the demons, the tug of giving in. Three years of saying yes to sobriety and yes to helping others.
In these three years emerged a person who is stronger and sturdier than the person you were before, even before the alcohol grabbed you and held on. You are no longer a person defined by your past; you are defined by the here and now. You have reasons for being instead of reasons for wanting to die. You have goals and a purpose that eluded you in your previous incarnation.
I remember the sound of a beer can opening. I remember the snap, the hiss, the feeling of despair. I remember thinking it would end, that it had to end.
I have learned so much from you. I have learned that no problem is insurmountable. I have learned how to bounce back from defeat. I have learned how to take those defeats and turn them into something positive. I have watched you give of yourself to the people who gave to you. To those who gave you a hand, a shoulder, guidance, and forgiveness, you have given the same in return — often to the point of overextending yourself, saying there’s no time to rest.
