A year of thanksgiving

Today is thanksgiving and looking back over the past year since, I have much to be thankful for.

It has now been one full year since I have had even a drop of alcohol — I feat I once feared was impossible. You see I used alcohol as my stress-reliever and although it did not interfere with my work or life in a conventional sense, it did interfere with my self esteem. I think on some level I felt out of control. I worked at a job that was unfulfilling, I was in an abusive relationship and I just felt powerless. Taking a stand for something was my first step to recovering a sense of control in my life.

By refusing alcohol I committed to find better, more productive ways to alleviate my stress. This led me to pick up on some old hobbies and new ones. It has also brought me back to my goal of completing my BFA degree in Illustration. The abusive relationship has dissolved and I feel a new sense of purpose and anticipation in my life.

I am so thankful for my life and the joy of being me and finding out daily what that means. I am thankful to my family and friends for sticking with me through the tough times. And I thank myself for finding the strength within to change for the better.