Erika Weinert

It is that feeling you get as you turn off a light switch in the dark. You feel like there is something lurking in the shadows, but you know that it cannot hurt you unless you let it.

I didn't want to end up like my dad, so I decided to quit one day. The feeling of wanting to quit drinking had been building up after many instances where I contemplated drinking in the morning before work just to relax enough to get through the day. I never did it though, but I knew my addiction was progressing, and that it was just a matter of time.

I turn off the light and there is nothing but darkness all around, except for a slice of light that I see from the other room. No longer afraid of what may lurking in the shadows, I confidently stride down the dimly lit hallway until light surrounds me. That is my sobriety.