Today, my old friend, Mister Anxiety, returned for a little visit. We had parted ways a few months ago, but he made a surprise entrance when I woke up and thought, “Oh, shit. Summer vacation is almost done!”
After a year of dealing with Mister Anxiety’s daily morning appearances, I’d learned to live with his heartless attempts to rile me and screw up the start of my day. In the beginning, he caused me a lot of discomfort, but later I learned that he had weaknesses. For example, I could remind myself how lucky I am to be Scott with his wonderful wife, a great job and a host of good, smart friends.
More than anything, though, Mister Anxiety hates my sobriety. In the past, he could depend on one of my many addictions or behaviors to continue undermining my ability to function and be happy. That’s no longer true. Recovery has made me Bierko Strong.
Taking a walk on the beach with Beth, I shared about what was bothering me. We walked and talked while the seagulls and sandpipers did their thing. Eventually, we identified what each of us needed from one another to feel supported.
Take that, MisterA!
