Once Julia achieved a year in sobriety, she made the decision that she was never going to drink no matter what was going on in her life.  She also made the effort to sit down with her children and talk to and educate them about alcoholism. It was important for Julia to work on fixing her marriage, her grief and herself. She was only 37 at the time so she knew she had a lot of time left. This period allowed Julia to pause and reflect on those parts of her life that were going wrong at the time.  She focused on steps and practiced positive thinking. It was all in an effort to turn things around and adopt a new perspective.

While in recovery Julia was able to provide for her family and paid it forward when they needed her. She was able to give her daughters much needed support especially her middle child who was overcoming a divorce. She was there for her son as he was overcoming his suicidal ideation.  Through her online support group, Julia has been a guiding light for women who have gone through similar situations. Julia understands that it’s important to keep smiling, hold space and stay positive.

Somewhere within Julia’s recovery an ember grew and became a new flame. Within that new life there developed a new perspective. Today Julia has a good life. She has her husband and her three adult kids by her side. She’s 53 years old and still has a lot of living to do. She doesn’t regret anything because for her recovery is where you are finally living again and living out loud.