Happy Birthday to my ex-husband

He got sober on January 15, 1981.  That makes him 28 years sober?  That means I met him 20 years ago?  oh my.  Time does have a way of flying, doesn't it?

20 years ago.... I was 4 and a half years sober.  I was in the locked ward of a local hospital.  I had never been locked up in any way before.  I had never even visited a psychiatric hospital.  And yet, there I was.  An attractive young woman, a fellow patient, asked me if I wanted to pray with her and I eagerly said "yes."  But as she started praying, I quickly saw the delusional, hyper-religiousness of her prayer.  It was so scary.  I had to ask staff to help me to get her away from me.  

When I got out of the hospital - nearly 2 weeks later - I had lots of time on my hands to go to meetings since I no longer had a job.  And I met a handsome, charming, intelligent, sober man.  He was visiting from Australia.   He had everything I ever wanted in a man - and I do mean everything.  

20 years later, I am a single woman.  I am grateful to have lived through the experience.  I am also grateful to be single. I am grateful to be able to walk into a grocery store and know that when I walk out I won't be told not to come back again.  I am grateful to pretty much know what my life is likely to be like today and tomorrow.  I am grateful that there are tulips in the ground that I have planted over the years and I will likely get to see them come up again in a few months.... right where I planted them.