Other People's Kids

Progression

7 years ago: I was a drunk. My marriage was in the toilet, my family didn't trust me (nor did I deserve any trust), my career was plateaued and wasn't going any higher because I'd fried my brain.

6 years ago: I had gotten my DWI. I was in a state of physical and mental flux as my body washed the poisons out of my system. I wasn't yet awake, but I had started the long journey.

5 years ago: as my mind cleared from a decade-long hibernation, I was beginning to face facts and it was rapidly dawning on me that changes were necessary. I started running and that was helping my physical well-being. The hurts I had suffered many years ago finally were being faced and conquered, and I was almost ready to really begin shaping my life in a positive way.

4 years ago: I began to realize that my marriage was hopeless. I confronted my ex with that fact, and she convinced me to try one last time.

3 years ago: Nothing had changed for months and my ex and I split. At this point in that year she was simply marking time getting ready to leave the house, and I let her live on there as a personal favor. The Wife and I had already begun to see our longstanding friendship deepen into something that was clearly going to be much, much more.

2 years ago: It had become much much more. I was happily married for the first time since the first year or so of my first marriage. I had to quit running because of mild arthritis in my feet (YOU try running with any arthritis at all in your feet) but I was feeling fine. I was, however, feeling the bio clock ticking and realizing that my life no longer lay in The Big City.

1 year ago: The Wife and I had made the move to the country and were ramping up our ambition to be foster parents and, hopefully, somehow, real parents. Life was on an upward trajectory, though I was beginning to have reservations about my new job.

1 day ago: After many months of fostering and writing this blog, I feel I'm about as on top of my game as I'm likely to get. I was preparing to start my new job, which looks right now to hold a lot of promise for the future. I had two great "daughters", a great wife and it was another NFL Sunday. What more could you ask for?

1 hour ago: I sent "Jenny" to bed with a hug and a kiss. Monday night football was on, Willy was laying by my feet, I was digesting a spaghetti dinner and life is good.

If ever you are in a position where you don't see any hope in your life, think of this post and realize that nobody knows what wonders the future might hold. If a drunk like me can turn his life around and get it hitting on all cylinders like this, just think what might be waiting for you.

I LOVE my life.

posted by Dan @ 7:13 PM