Scarlett Chesser

May 5, 2023  280 days of sobriety! (9 months and 6 days) I recently celebrated 9 months of sobriety. Last year, this time, I had no clue that my life would be forever transformed in the upcoming months. I was looking for all the answers to the pain and misery I was experiencing, but unfortunately, the more I looked, the further down the bottle I fell. In so many forums and discussion boards that I partake, many people will ask, “What was your turning point?” My turning point was when I could no longer look at myself in the mirror because the guilt, shame, and remorse were unbearable. Drinking had become the epicenter of my world.  Unfortunately, in May of last year, although I had not hit my rock bottom, I was in the process of digging a hole that would take almost a miracle to get out of. At this time, I was preparing for my final reconstructive breast cancer surgery. I had the perfect opportunity to dwell in self-pity and therefore choose to consume excessive amounts of alco...

February 28, 2023 214 days (7 months) of sobriety!  February has been a month full of opportunity to grow in sobriety! Living life sober is starting to feel like the norm, rather than the opposite. I feel like I am more at peace with who I am and who I am supposed to be. Today, I am so grateful to celebrate 7 months of sobriety! In mid-February, James and I were finally able to get some time alone. We decided to take a mini-vacay to Gatlinburg, Tennessee. It was truly an amazing trip in which we did a whole lot of eating and sleeping! We both truly needed the relaxation. It felt so good to be “hangover free” the entire time and enjoy things that I normally would have bypassed. The triggers were minimal on this trip. I remember the last time we vacationed in Gatlinburg, although I kept my drinking to a minimum, it was constantly on my mind! The obsession of the mind to have that first drink was powerful! It feels so good to have my cravings for alcohol slowly diminish.  This pa...

 January 29, 2023 6 months! This morning I went to a meeting and graciously received my 6 month chip!  Upon leaving my meeting, I sat in the car and tears began to roll down my face. I was overcome with complete joy!!!  Ironically, the song, "Maybe It's Time" sung by Bradly Cooper in the movie, "A Star is Born" came across my Spotify. When listening to the lyrics, there were some that just were profound to me. "Maybe it's time to let the ole' ways die...I'm glad I can't go back to where I came from, I'm glad those days are gone, gone for good." Today, I was literally able to let an old piece of me die, and it felt so liberating.   I find that when listening to or reading personal stories of recovery that they have 3 things in common: what we were like, what happened, and what are we like now. My story is no different than many, but it is my personal journey into 6 months of sobriety. It is MY story as of TODAY...forever editing deta...