“I know, right,” I say back. 😭 Seriously, though, this is so good. And “the thing after the thing” had me nodding enthusiastically along. Thank you for another beautiful, super-real, incredibly helpful share, Kristen!
“I’m not them, and they’re not me.” It took me so long to get there. I’m finally there. My focus stays on my staying sober. My not drinking. My story. I don’t know theirs and that’s theirs to know.
Ugh, Halloween. I can't with the parents walking around with solo cups and pulling a wagon of alcohol while their children trick or treat. It drives me crazy. Thank you for writing about this!
That was never me, either - the stopping-once-I-started part. I was actually reflecting on past Halloweens last night, and truth be told, I was a little emotional. My boys (ages 21 & 22) were upstairs playing video games, my husband was downstairs watching one of his shows, and I was watching a Hallmark Halloween movie while hanging with my dogs. I was thinking about trick-or-treating for all of those years with my sister and her son. We would take so many cute pictures of the boys and selfies of us. We didn't have many kids in our neighborhood, so everyone was SO excited when we'd show up, and they gave out really good treats:) My sister and I would usually have an Angry Orchard cider (the cinnamon ones if we were lucky to find them) as we were walking. Those ciders were good, but always too sweet and weak for me. I would think, "What a waste of calories." My sister loved them, and almost always had just one. I could never understand how she was a one-and-done kind of drinker... SO completely different from me. I secretly couldn't wait to get home and mix myself something stronger, or I'd certainly have one of my concoctions even before we headed out. Thankfully I couldn't remember any embarrassing Halloween moments, except maybe the year my cousin's kids showed up really late (teenagers), and I'm pretty sure I was trying not to slur my words. Anyway, I really appreciated your essay. Thank you for sharing!
I’m 73 and never was a mom but relate totally especially to the thing after the thing - my reward for every tedious day at work was my ice cold IPA when I got home. Now I have a zero alcohol beer and it seems to work just as well!
“I know, right,” I say back. 😭 Seriously, though, this is so good. And “the thing after the thing” had me nodding enthusiastically along. Thank you for another beautiful, super-real, incredibly helpful share, Kristen!
“I’m not them, and they’re not me.” It took me so long to get there. I’m finally there. My focus stays on my staying sober. My not drinking. My story. I don’t know theirs and that’s theirs to know.
Such a great essay, Kristen.
Ugh, Halloween. I can't with the parents walking around with solo cups and pulling a wagon of alcohol while their children trick or treat. It drives me crazy. Thank you for writing about this!
It was so jarring to me my first sober Halloween! Thank you for the re-stack 🫶🏻
I don't like the taste of booze anymore and drunk people are profoundly boring. Easy when you look at it like that. Good post!
“The thing after the thing”…yes!! that always took me by surprise, but now I expect it. In the beginning though it can be a slippery slope.
I grew up before Mommy drinking culture took over. Your story reminds me of that holiday before it was hijacked by the alcohol industry
Yes it's just one day at a time.
That was never me, either - the stopping-once-I-started part. I was actually reflecting on past Halloweens last night, and truth be told, I was a little emotional. My boys (ages 21 & 22) were upstairs playing video games, my husband was downstairs watching one of his shows, and I was watching a Hallmark Halloween movie while hanging with my dogs. I was thinking about trick-or-treating for all of those years with my sister and her son. We would take so many cute pictures of the boys and selfies of us. We didn't have many kids in our neighborhood, so everyone was SO excited when we'd show up, and they gave out really good treats:) My sister and I would usually have an Angry Orchard cider (the cinnamon ones if we were lucky to find them) as we were walking. Those ciders were good, but always too sweet and weak for me. I would think, "What a waste of calories." My sister loved them, and almost always had just one. I could never understand how she was a one-and-done kind of drinker... SO completely different from me. I secretly couldn't wait to get home and mix myself something stronger, or I'd certainly have one of my concoctions even before we headed out. Thankfully I couldn't remember any embarrassing Halloween moments, except maybe the year my cousin's kids showed up really late (teenagers), and I'm pretty sure I was trying not to slur my words. Anyway, I really appreciated your essay. Thank you for sharing!
I’m 73 and never was a mom but relate totally especially to the thing after the thing - my reward for every tedious day at work was my ice cold IPA when I got home. Now I have a zero alcohol beer and it seems to work just as well!