Just how do you walk a pig?
I was driving to the store here in Vermont, and I passed by a woman who was out walking her pig, a big, gray sow, in their yard on a harness leash.
It appeared to me that the sow, who was stationary, and happily munching on the flowers & wild grasses, had no intention of running off & her harness seemed a bit overkill, but I will be the first to admit my ignorance in that area.
A thought occurred to me then. I considered a parallel to long term sobriety.
I know, I know. Why does it all have to be related to sobriety?
Well, because you know – it’s life.
My life.
& I can no more separate my life from my sobriety than I can my skin from my bones.
It came to me that when you become complacent in your sobriety & you don’t harness all the safety measures you have stocked in your sober tool box, your pig, that happily munching sow, a.k.a. your sobriety, might R-U-N O-F-T. (That’s an Oh Brother, Where Art Thou/ Coen Bros. movie reference FYI, just in case you aren’t savvy, but if you read it aloud it becomes clear).
That toolbox serves as our safety harness, & there’s a reason it has so many supportive threads & stitches. We drank for many reasons, & we – as beautifully complex creatures, need be supported in many facets.
Surrounding ourselves with the right, loving, & supportive tribe who live a life we respect & wish to emulate.
We must support the sacred temples of our souls, our body, or rather- bodies: the physical, the emotional, the spiritual.
Consider our 5 senses & be mindful of just how much stimulation we are in constant receipt of, & be wholly ok with giving yourself a break when you need to stop the onslaught, make sure your own sensory diet is rich & satisfying.
When we have a safety structure that we’ve customized so it fits us well, keeps us safe, that let’s us explore and grow into our new life, our abstinence need never feel leash-like or restrictive.
We are empowered by the choices we make and the structure we build into our lives.
#sobersisters #5sensetherapy #alcoholfreelife #mindfulmama #