Real Friends.....Even the kind who drink

One of my biggest gifts of recovery has been finding true friendships with people who care about my sobriety and my spiritual fitness. As I have gained my footing with almost a year and a half of sobriety, I have ventured out and cultivated some new relationships with some old friends...not old as in age, but from years and years ago. I had thought that my future existence would only be with sober people, but am learning that it is possible to have relationships with people who are able to drink in ways that I am not. With my 1.5 years, I have learned to have a voice and speak up for myself and define and enforce my boundaries. Today I can tell anyone that I am an alcoholic....without shame, without fear. It is what it is...I drank, I made huge mistakes, I hurt lots of people, but I'm not her anymore. So, today I can say I want to be your friend, but when you go to places where there is drinking, I am going to say no thank you. And you can know that I love you just the same.