Forgetting My Sobriety Anniversary & Finding True Freedom

The other day, it hit me—I forgot my sobriety anniversary.

For a moment, I panicked. How could I forget something so monumental? The day my life changed. The day I took my power back. The day I stepped into the unknown, terrified but ready.

But then, just as quickly, a wave of peace settled over me.

I forgot… because I’m free.

Beyond the Countdown

In the beginning, I counted everything.

Days. Hours. Minutes.

Every milestone felt like a mountain I had climbed, proof that I was doing it, that I was still standing. I clung to those numbers like they were the only thing keeping me afloat.

One month. Three months. Six. A year.

And for a long time, tracking my sobriety felt necessary. It reminded me of how far I’d come, how much work I had put in, how I had survived what once felt impossible. But somewhere along the way, the need to count started to fade.

Not because my sobriety became any less important, but because it became a part of me.

Sobriety Is Not a Destination

I think, in the early days, I saw sobriety as a finish line. Like if I just made it to a certain number, I’d be fixed. I’d be healed. The struggle would disappear.

But that’s not how it works.

Sobriety isn’t something I’m waiting for. It’s not a future achievement I’m counting down toward.

It’s just… life.

It’s the way I wake up in the morning, clear-headed and at peace. It’s the way I show up for my family, fully present instead of lost in regret. It’s the way I no longer need to mark the time because I’m no longer surviving—I’m living.

Liberation in Just Being

Forgetting my anniversary doesn’t mean I don’t care. It doesn’t mean I take my sobriety for granted. If anything, it means I’ve truly embraced it.

Because this is no longer a temporary fight. It’s no longer something I have to white-knuckle through, gripping onto every passing day like proof that I’m still here.

I am sober. I am free. And I don’t need a countdown to remind me of that.

Just Living

There was a time when I wondered if I would ever feel normal again. If I’d always be hyper-aware of the passing days, if I’d ever stop measuring my success by numbers and milestones.

And now, here I am.

No longer waiting for something. No longer tied to a clock. No longer counting.

Just living.

And isn’t that the most beautiful kind of freedom?

To anyone still tracking, still counting, still holding on tight—your freedom is coming too. One day, you’ll wake up and realize you forgot. And in that moment, you’ll know: you made it. 💛