Hi everyone ... I'm Kelly, and I am an alcoholic.

Sometimes I hear folks say they can't go on anymore; that they have reached the end of their rope. And these particular folks of whom I speak of are in recovery. We all experience 'Life on Life's terms,' and naturally sometimes that is very tough stuff. We get tired. Our heads can start spinning with fear and worry, and before we know it, we are sinking in quicksand. Our old thinking is back. Thankfully though, we can always reach out and ask for help ... another alcoholic talking to another alcoholic. We can identify with a tool that may have been forgotten. Gratitude is one of those, and it is hard to hold on to when our world seems to be falling apart. We think, "Gratitude? Are you kidding?" It dawned on me that when I say that, I have made a choice to hang out with the problem and walk away from the solution. Not a good thing to do. In fact, a very dangerous thing for me to do. So I have learned to make a gratitude list. It may start out slowly, but I can usually find at least 20 things to be grateful for. It's then when I realize that God really does have me in His hands. I am being taken care of, as well as my family members, too. It sure does calm me down long enough to gain some strength and peace and enables me to look at things differently and see some hope. It helps me with the trust issues I once had with God. When I make a gratitude list, I realize I am not running the show. I do what I can, but I am not in control of people, places, or things, and that makes life livable under any circumstances. Sounds simple, but it's true!

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