Life is still full of ups and downs

Many people in recovery talk about how amazing things are after getting sober. And there are some amazing things (many of which I have listed before). What people talk about less is that life goes on. Certainly, eliminating alcohol has made more time, energy, and money available to do other things that I didn't do while drinking. At a basic level it is simple time management. If I used to spend 2-3 hours at a bar drinking and I don't do that anymore then I am doing something else with that time. For me, that has helped me to spend more time with family, on work, read more, go to more shows, and generally think more. Those are all great things. But being sober does not insulate you from the bad things in the world. In some cases it is the opposite. When you are sober all the time you are more present and aware so you tend to pay attention to things you missed or ignored before. Sometimes those are good things and sometimes those are bad things. Lately, it has been a mix in my life. Sickness, death, and pain happen. Sometimes close to you. I am blessed to have a community of friends and family who support me. And I am thankful for that. And for the 1st time in a long time I can say that I am dealing with life head on. Is it more painful? In the short term, yes. But I know that my emotions are real and I am able to be fully present with them. Avoidance of pain is a normal reaction to any painful situation and sometimes part of our survival instinct. For me, I know that numbing myself to the pain is not worth the cost anymore.