02/02/2026
Today I’m celebrating a personal milestone and wanted to share my brief story:
That day still feels like yesterday. I woke up in a panic, not remembering where I was.
Yesterday’s chaos came flooding back: police cars in my driveway, shouting upstairs, me barefoot in the backyard with the dogs, clutching my phone, calling my mom because I was literally freaking out.
My mom’s voice on the phone was the one steady thing that got me through.
And somewhere in that fog, I heard myself promise, “Yes, Mom, I’ll go.”
The day after my life fell apart, I had to keep that promise to myself and my mom. I finally decided to pick me.
I parked the car, pulled down the visor, and looked at myself in the mirror. “Shannon, you can do this. It’s time. You need help. Let down your walls, just be present.” Ugh, why does this feel so damn hard? Can I really do this?
I took a deep breath, opened the car door, and headed up the walkway to the big roundhouse building in the middle of the park.
Walking up the stairs, I feel like I’m standing at the edge of a cliff. I’m either gonna fall, or gonna fly.
When I got to the door, a tall, round woman with the biggest smile touched my arm. “Hi, I’m _____ Welcome. Is this your first time?”
I nodded and said, “Yes,” then burst out crying, wearing all my emotions on my sleeve. She sensed my internal terror, gave me a hug, and walked me over to another woman who was already sitting down. She had an empty seat next to her and asked me to join her. She later became my sponser and that meeting became my lighthouse for the next few years.
This month, I’m celebrating 10 years in sobriety and have never looked back. I stopped running from myself. Walking through those doors and choosing me saved my life. Since that day, I’ve been choosing myself, one day, one hour, sometimes one minute at a time.
Know you’re not ever alone, hands at your back always.
Some pictures to inspire from the journey. :-) xox
