Your first year of sobriety is a BIG DEAL. But then, so is EVERY day you do not indulge in your poison of choice — alcohol, drugs, gambling, sex, food — and you should be happy to get through your life one day at a time.

My AA birthday was February 9, 1996, and I’ve been clean and sober every day since then. With the First Principal’s guidance, I’ll celebrate my 24th birthday in about six weeks. The main thing I got out of sobriety is that no matter what s**t you’re going through, it’s going to be there whether you’re sober or drunk. Being drunk just makes it waaaaayyyy worse, because you have bigger messes to clean up.

So congratulations to you for every day you go through life without self-medicating, and remember: you’ve got plenty of brothers and sisters to help you if you ever need a voice to help guide you through the night…..