The Not Lost Weekend

You all know that I write about life after addiction, right? Well, I got to experience that in a really beautiful way this weekend and I'd love to tell you all about it.

First, let's go back in time a little bit, back to my last big alcoholic blow-out in 2005. My daughter was 18 months old and my wife was pregnant with our son. I awoke from blackout to the sound of the front door slamming shut.

They'd gone.

Fuck.

That was when I knew I'd gone too far and my alcoholism was about to take everything.

It was time to take action.

I attended my first meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous that weekend. My wife and daughter came home and somehow my wife agreed to give me another chance. Even though I'd used up all my last chances. Love's a funny thing.

As you'll know if you've been following my content, that first AA meeting became a second and a third, and after all those days at a time I'm coming up to my 16th anniversary.

I know, right? There, but for the grace of God, go I.

This Weekend

My daughter is now 17 and boards at school through the week, so I don't get to see her as often as I would like. This weekend though, I got to spend a lot of time with her in the car and chilling in Manchester.

She plays French horn and had an audition for the National Youth Orchestra on Saturday. I drove her down and back on Friday / Sunday. The audition was all day, but other than that, we were together the whole time - eating out, going to the cinema, shopping for books and jamming out to music on the road trip. It was one of the most amazing trips I've ever had.

I know that that trip was in jeopardy back in 2005, when I didn't know if I'd lost it all or if I was going to get another chance.  

I'm so grateful to AA for saving me and bringing me to this moment, where I get to feel the love all around me and watch my kids grow into amazing adults.

Turns out Marti Pellow was right - love really is all around.