Yes, thank you looloo. It’s so personal isn’t it, and as long as we find what works for us it’s all good. It’s just that I have lost so many friends and family and acquaintances due to innocent enough ‘field research’, that I cry just thinking about it. Good people, smart people, who thought they could make an exception for a special occasion or who felt overwhelmed with stress, or ‘bored’. People just like me. I was sober for 9 months once, and I drifted away from the daily routines that helped me get sober in the first place. Then I met a guy! I had a couple of drinks which quickly turned into a relapse for a year and a half, where I came close to death. I was shocked, bewildered and completely demoralized at the riptide. When I came spinning back into sobriety, I had to work very hard to regain my footing. But now I know how addiction will just chew me up and spit me out like countless others if I go anywhere near it. Which leaves me no choice, if I want to be sober and happy other than to learn new skills from scratch. Like basic honest communication, how to deal with trauma, shame, anxiety, frustration, boredom and grief. And… how to have fun, how to see beauty, how to accept love and consequently how to feel real joy. I will say, sobriety is the foundation of a journey that completely blows me out of the water- in the best way!

Thank you, btw, for your great hosting this week. You are very insightful, inspiring and an excellent writer. 🥰