Congrats RanD!! I've beenproudly displayingthe circle with a diamond in it since October 4th, 1987.

 

[sm=exactly.gif] What he said! 3/22 is a great day, it's my birthday!

 

Up until last May I drank 6-7 days a week. Every night just about. Then I slowed down. I have drank on 5 occasions in the last year. And the funny thing is, I had to just about force it each time. The wife kept asking me why I wasn't drinking and I had no answer, other than I didn't want to. She has always been a non drinking type. In the 12 years we have been together I can count the times she has drank. And never more than 2 at a sitting. Back a year ago, if I could only have two, I wouldn't start. Being a drunken idiot was never my thing. I liked to just drink a bit and watch a movie. Always after the kids went to sleep. I was always careful to not drink much in front of them. My g.mother was in recovery for 34 years before she died. My mother has been sober for almost 20 years. My father is dying from cirrhosis, was told to stop or die, and he did stop. My sister is all f'd up on some drug or another, so you can say it runs in the family. WOW, never spelled that out before. Really makes me sad. My kids are much smarter than I, and since they know I don't drink anymore, maybe they will never start.

I love the linkage, I know the symbol. As a kid I went to bingo at the Heights club (AA)here in ABQ with my g. Parents. Always smokey, but the food was free, and all the coffee I could drink...I was 8. lol. Keep it going one day at a time. Besides, with a Harley, who has time to drink.

 

Thanks Travis.....great story. There have been countless benefits for me in not drinking -- staying ALIVE being one of them! But probably among the most valued is how sobriety has positively affected the relationships with my daughters. They're 12 and 17 years old now, and for the past four years things have improved incredibly. Hard to describe without getting all mushy.....but I trust that you get my point.