What do you love about your AF Life? (Inspired by Cindi)

[retteacher]

What do you love about your AF Life? (Inspired by Cindi)

Beck: That is so true. Getting rid of the "sneaky drunk" thing is the most freeing thing. If I say or do something stupid while sober, I can just say: "Oops, sorry!" When I was drunk, nothing came out in the open, because I was always afraid someone would notice.

Last Tuesday, I backed into my son-in-law's basketball pole (while sober) & scraped my bumper. I don't have that awful feeling that I'll be discovered to have been drinking or hungover. I know I wasn't. I'll just get it fixed...simple as that!

I can make sober mistakes & fix them or apologize...no need to be paranoid. Mary

[on my way]

What do you love about your AF Life? (Inspired by Cindi)

a clear head rocks

I love having a clear head.
I love being able to think and quickly articulate my thoughts. Just in from a meeting with all the special ed teachers and administrators at my child?s school. I was able to get him everything I wanted and then some. This special ed conference thing is something like a real-estate deal; nobody wants to give in much but we all want everything. Being a strong and effective advocate is a powerful feeling.

omw

[Accountable for Me]

What do you love about your AF Life? (Inspired by Cindi)

omw - how wonderful for you! Way to go!

[retteacher]

What do you love about your AF Life? (Inspired by Cindi)

OMW: I was a sped teacher & in the last 5 years a sped dept. chair. Remember that the school system is always trying to get away w/as little as possible. The squeaky wheel gets the oil. You are your child's best advocate. Good for you. Even when I went to bat for children & parents, the upper echelon school administration tends to only listen to the parents...especially if they are willing to play hardball (i.e. attorneys, state audits, etc.). Mary

[on my way]

What do you love about your AF Life? (Inspired by Cindi)

Mary,

Today, the only one I had trouble with was the big cheese admin.

The teachers, speech therapist and the principal were all on board with me. Big cheese does not know me. The others do and know what we have done for our kiddo. You are so right about the best advocate. Being on a long sober stretch sure helped. I love doggie?s quote "there is no situation so bad that it can't be made worse by alcohol? this is a perfect example. Thanks for your support!!

I always get so worked up about these IEP meetings. Always in the past I have left them feeling a bit shorted. Feel pretty good today. And, good for you for doing the job you did, so few of you out there.

omw

[retteacher]

What do you love about your AF Life? (Inspired by Cindi)

OMW: I was in sped for 26 years. Very gratifying career. Yes, the big cheese is all about saving money, because his job depends on that. He's not about deciding what's best for the kids. I must say that the teachers are often the LEAST listened to. Good for you for sticking to your guns. I know how stressful those IEP meetings can be. M

[Doggygirl]

What do you love about your AF Life? (Inspired by Cindi)

I LOVED telling my new doctor today that I stopped drinking. She said "that's good because...." and listed a whole lot of bad things booze does to us healthwise in general, and for menopausal women in particular. It was a revelation that she didn't even ask what my previous drinking patterns were. She just applauded my decision to not drink any more.

I love the fact that I won't be hiding or dodging or lying if anyone asks me why I'm not drinking, and I respond "for health reasons." YEAH!!

DG
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[Doggygirl]

What do you love about your AF Life? (Inspired by Cindi)

I love the feeling of freedom I get when I interact with people, totally sober, and don't have any anxiety over whether I am slurring, or "getting busted drinking" in any other way. Nothing to feel paranoid about. If I say something stupid that I need to apologize for, it won't be under the influence of AL that I said it.

FREEDOM ROCKS. :rockband2:

ETA: Please feel free to express your ideas here even if it's an idea that's already been expressed once or a thousand times by you, or by others. Keeping this thread alive, and affirming the positives about AF will give us a great "Rock" to visit when temptation strikes. At least that's the way I see it!! Thanks to everyone who has contributed. Reading everyone's posts makes me conscious of benefits that I hadn't realized, but that are so true.

DG
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[retteacher]

What do you love about your AF Life? (Inspired by Cindi)

I love my Sunday walks w/my friend & her dog. No hangover. Mary

[Evie.Lou]

What do you love about your AF Life? (Inspired by Cindi)

I just realized that this is my 200th post. I love being sober because my life has a real purpose now.It is only thru finding soberiety myself that I feel like I can support others on the same path.That gives me a feeling of self worth that is more important to me than words can say.......EVIE

[Pamina]

What do you love about your AF Life? (Inspired by Cindi)

I love the feeling of being less fragmented and more centred.
I love being able to be there for my sick father and have the courage to ask his doctor some tough questions.
I love the sense of accomplishment.
I love the increasing confidence that if I can do this, maybe I can do other scary things...
And I LOVE having lost 10 lbs - they are history!
Thanks for the thread!

[Tiny]

What do you love about your AF Life? (Inspired by Cindi)

I actually finished what I started today!!! I moved all of my winter clothes into storgae and pulled out my summer clothes -- done in 3 hours!!!!

[Doggygirl]

What do you love about your AF Life? (Inspired by Cindi)

I LOVE the fact that AL is not a factor in each and every *thing* that happens each and every day.

As an example, this morning Mr. Doggy has to take our male GSD to the vet - this was unexpected. This means we have to alter some plans for the day - some things I was planning to do early this AM will have to wait until later today. Just a couple short weeks ago this would have irritated the ever livin' SNOT out of me. To the "outside" I would have pretended to be angry with the inconvenience of changing my own plans. TRUTH???? I would have been angry to have to delay my first drink of the day.

The realization that this schedule change is no big deal at all is a wonderful, and far less stressful thing!

The TRUTH will set us free.

Love your AF life TODAY!!

DG
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[meditation mama]

What do you love about your AF Life? (Inspired by Cindi)

I love interacting in the mornings. I am SO unbelievable, annoyingly a morning person!! I love mornings. I am happy, I smile, I make others smile.



MM

[Beck]

What do you love about your AF Life? (Inspired by Cindi)

I love that I booted AL out of my life and let my husband back in. No way I give up on this. The man is still a keeper.
Beck