Dear Reader:
I am offering these peeks into the challenges and personal growth I experienced in my first year of sobriety because it may offer hope or at least a sort of roadmap for birthing an alcohol-free life. Sort of a version of “What to Expect When You’re Expecting”, that standby book all expectant moms had shoved into their hands in the 90s.
If you are new and interested, jump back to the May 3, 2024 post. It was getting tedious to type these out (nothing creative in that!) so I am trying out the audio feature. If you would rather read than listen, the transcript is provided.
Feel free to email me with any comments. The direct links to my different Substack sections are in the footer, along with a link to instructions on how to unsubscribe.
Warning: This may be boring to those who have never wanted to live a life without alcohol in it.
Love, Light, & Joy, Maria Luz
8.16.24 Show Notes
More than one person has told me recently that they feel like time is passing even faster than usual. I pulled up a picture from the cabin I write about in these journal entries, and it breaks my heart a bit to see that my dog didn’t have little white hairs on her snout like she does now. A two year old versus a four year old dog looks so different. It shouldn’t be the case, but it is.
There is a pretty typical phenomenon for people who get sober later in life. Once they are off the physical and mental alcohol merry-go-round - which if I had to sum up, rides like constant bodily dryness and background guilt - there is a regret that sets in for a while. It goes something like, “I should have done this years ago”, “What a waste these last x years were when I was drinking”, “I hate that I wasn’t present when my kids/dog/cat/grandkids/relationship were in X stage”.
Well, I am so grateful I notice the ratio of white to black fur on my dog’s snout these days, even if it is bittersweet.
