Summer Walks
Last summer, I couldn’t walk to the mailbox.
Last summer, I couldn’t walk to the mailbox.It wasn’t far, maybe 50 feet from my front door, and even downhill, but there was no way I could make it down there and back.
I was simply too weak. But what I was strong enough to do was get on my computer every morning and grab a LifeRing meeting.
Those meetings gave me something to look forward to every day.
Camaraderie. Friendship. People who understood me and what I was going through. Because they’d been through it too. I couldn’t believe I could log in at 4 in the morning and hear grown men be so vulnerable with each other, or join a meeting at 10 pm and hear people from around the world share stories about their favorite songs and how they helped them through hard times.
People shared about their missteps, their challenges, and their victories, big and small.
When I was at my lowest, I always knew I could find a LifeRing meeting where I could find support. Doing mindful meditation with others, being wished peace, people being happy to see me - all of these things meant so much when I was down. These people were unknowingly throwing liferings in my pools of sadness.
Fast forward to this summer
I'm still going to LifeRing meetings for the exact same reasons, but my role in them has shifted a little. Last summer, I desperately needed support, and I definitely got it in those meetings. Non-judgmental support from complete strangers. How amazing is that?
But now, I feel like I’m in a position where I’m able to offer some wisdom and encouragement. It’s been 15 months since my last drink, and I had my liver transplant 9 months ago. And though I certainly still need support, I feel like I’m able to give it, too.
This summer, I can honestly say that I am the healthiest I have been in years. Physically AND emotionally. I can thank the doctors for the physical part, but I thank LifeRing for the emotional part.
Rather than struggling to make it to the mailbox, I’m walking my six-month-old puppy, Walter, 3 miles every morning before I catch a LifeRing meeting.
When I went on vacation this summer, the first time I was healthy enough to take one in many years, I decided I was going to embrace every moment of being alive. So I went parasailing and ziplining, and was taking 4-mile-long walks on the beach. My transplant doctor was happily surprised when I told him that!
The support system that LifeRing provides has been a true lifesaver for me (no pun intended).
If you feel like LifeRing has helped you, like it’s helped me, now’s a great time to give back AND help someone else #grabalifering.
You can do it by sharing your story like I just did (at an online meeting, local meeting, or as a featured blog!). You can also join us on one of our many social media channels.
Knowing what others have been through means so much.
You can also donate here. These funds help by preparing new peer convenors to lead LifeRing meetings, supplying LifeRing Recovery by Choice workbooks to treatment and recovery centers, and in so many other ways.
Please think about supporting the organization that supports you and your recovery. I know I am walking proof of how much LifeRing helped me.
— Cathy from the Bay Area
Your one-time and recurring donations help people like Cathy find their way to sustained sobriety.
Your— Thank you! —