Choices

Choices. It’s a high-class problem to have to make choices. It means there are options. More than one option. Many options.

It hasn’t always been that way. I may have thought I had options, but I was only fooling myself. Sure I could decide which substance to drink – to get drunk on – but in reality it didn’t matter because the goal was the same: get drunk. I wasn’t making a decision as much as I was giving in to the compulsion.

Today I have choices. I have choices starting with the choice not to take a drink. I’ve made this choice each day (sometimes many times a day) for the last 13 years. Making the choice to stay sober opens up a lot of other options leading to more choices, choices between good things, many good things. Having this many choices means not being able to do everything – at least not at the same time. It leaves options for tomorrow or the next time a similar situation comes up.

Last week I celebrated my 13^th sobriety anniversary. No party. No cake or ice cream. Just quiet thankfulness to the God who has all power and helped me when I could not help myself. I’m celebrating the choices and the ability to make healthy choices. I’m celebrating the choice to stay sober for another 13 years, one day at a time.