“We are still celebrating our recovery!” – Peggy Spratlin Kuykendall
When we, my husband and I, were approaching our 10-year sobriety date, I began searching for recovery podcasts. Lo and behold, my HP (Higher Power) guided me to THE SHAIR PODCAST! That led me to the FB page and then to The SRC recovery community and the opportunity to meet members face to face!
That changed my recovery in more ways than I could imagine. I hadn’t been to AA meetings in a long time. The SRC meetings are unlike any ones I have been to. We discuss living in recovery, travels, troubles and triumphs!
The next big step was sharing our story. Something Omar Pinto made possible by interviewing me on the podcast which has allowed me to help others as well as myself. 30 years of drinking, the consequences we faced and our journey of recovery. It’s episode #205 of The SHAIR Recovery Podcast. Our success is now in the 11 years after stopping drinking.
Since 4/23/2008, we lost our son, Dallas, to the disease of alcoholism. Joel has been diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis (inflammation of his fused spine) has had 3 major surgeries (1 heart valve replacement and 2 knee replacements). None of this could have been done while drinking. Suicide by alcohol consumption would have been the solution. We would have joined our son in this family disease.
So here we are 11.5 years out and still celebrating our recovery! Our success today requires daily prayer, staying present, being helpful at work and in the SRC recovery community. As well as a daily dose of gratitude. We are here today by the Grace of God. We got sober in AA. Practicing the 12 steps keeps us grounded in our marriage (43 years), our friendships and at work.
Our marriage survived because we both stopped drinking. We also had to stop trying to fix each other. Once we recovered separately, we began to recover and support each other in our own recovery. That was the trick. Our desire to drink has been removed. Our desire to live has been renewed. One day at a time!
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