One Month.....
- May 9, 2023
- 3 min read
Updated: May 10, 2023
One month. It’s been one month since I last my last drink. On April 9th, 2023 (Easter) I committed to stop drinking alcohol. A decision that was a long time coming and wish I had made it sooner.
Over the last 30 days I have not been tempted to drink, however, I did notice the bottle of Buffalo Trace in our pantry this weekend. It was on the top shelf and about half was gone. As I took a step back and thought about all the times that I would walk to the pantry after dinner and poor a double. So many bottles, so many bottles.
It’s crazy to think that it has only been a month because it feels like it has been ages since my last drink. As I write, I think about the times that I was drinking just so I could sleep through the night. There were no worries of waking up with a hangover, I knew how to overcome the headaches.
However, the crazy thing was how I lied to myself saying that there wasn’t a problem. Friends would ask if it was a problem and at the time I always answered no. Hindsight is 20/20. It probably was a bit of an issue and one that I didn’t confront for quite awhile.
There is a moment that I would like to share and a bit embarrassed to tell. One evening, earlier in the year, I had too much to drink. Even though I don’t know the exact number of drinks I had I am pretty sure it was close to 3 IPA’s, a few glasses of wine and a couple glasses of whiskey.
Here is the moment that I knew I had to stop drinking. My family and I were watching “funny videos” on YouTube enjoying a few laughs before bed. Everyone was laughing and thought it would be a good time to start my nightly routine. As I stood up, I knew that I didn’t have my balance and sat down quickly. I pretended to laugh to cover up the fact that I was fucked up.
Needless to say, I finished my whiskey and waited for everyone to get up and go to bed before I got off the couch again. That was probably the worst it had been and was the moment that I knew I had to quit soon. About a week later I did just that.
During these 30 days of sobriety, it made me realize how much I was ignoring my duties as a husband, father, owner of a business and mentor to a few. My God given abilities and skills I have learned over 40+ years were impaired due to alcohol. This is something that cannot be conceded to the enemy and allowing it to win.
We must be better stewards of the talents that the Creator has given each and everyone of us. For me, I know that I was meant for something great. I want to be able to achieve what I was destined for and I cannot do that operating less than 100%. There are many reasons to give up alcohol, but none bigger than reaching my ultimate potential.
I pray that everyone takes an inventory of their lives and see if you have been putting alcohol or another vice in front of what is important.
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