October 2018 – The Life and Times of Me

I read these 12 Rewards of Recovery in The Daily Ponderables (online recovery material) and I could really relate to how my life has changed for the better since being sober. I have Hope, Faith and Courage, among other things and I kinda like myself these days. A lot has changed for me in the last several years. Whether you are in recovery or not, I hope you too have these rewards in your life.

12 Rewards of Recovery

This is what I get in return when I live the program:

1. Hope instead of desperation.

2. Faith instead of despair.

3. Courage instead of fear.

4. Peace of mind instead of confusion.

5. Self-respect instead of self-contempt.

6. Self-confidence instead of helplessness.

7. The respect of others instead of their pity and contempt.

8. A clean conscience instead of a sense of guilt.

9. Real friendship instead of loneliness.

10. A clean pattern of life instead of a purposeless existence.

11. The love and understanding of our families instead of their doubts and fears.

12. The freedom of a happy life instead of the bondage of Addiction.

Once again this year I had the opportunity to watch my niece while her parents were away. Caroline who is now 2 1/2 is an utter delight and I really enjoyed our time together. She is such a good little girl and did not mind being away from home one bit.

She was here for a little less than a week. My Mom came over each day for a new adventure. We went to parks and the museum, out for pizza and just played at home. She is very busy and plays well by herself. The weather was great for our trips to various parks for play, hiking and picnic. I also enjoyed the time with my Mom. We just had a really good week and being retired now, I had a sense of purpose.

Caroline really likes hanging out with her Uncle Steve. In fact, I think she prefers him. Unfortunately he was working during the day, but was hands on in the evenings and she loved every minute of playing with Uncle Steve.

I think it is great that her parents can get away for a little bit for some R&R and not have to worry about their little girl. Sure they missed her and we texted, sent pictures and face timed daily. If I was still using my daily intake of Ativan, this would not have been possible.

I cherish the memories of this past week, it is amazing to me to watch and care for this little girl. I am not sure how well I would have done if she was bratty and had tantrums all the time … I am older now and even though I have learned more patiences in recent years, I can’t handle screaming kids for long, been there done that! She did have a moment or two, but that was not the norm. My brother and sister-in-law are very lucky to have such a special little girl and I am lucky that I get to be a part of her life.

Stay tuned for more Adventures with Caroline.