Every day, as soon as I wake up, I make a list of everything I’m grateful for. I do this most days pretty much just after my eyes have opened, so it isn’t overthought in any way. There is one constant entry on that list: my wife. I can’t believe how lucky I am to still have her in my life. The simple fact that she put up with my drinking for so long and gave me so many second chances is astonishing. On my final morning waking up, oblivious of where I was, she didn’t get angry. She simply said, “You need to get help,” and that was enough for me to know it was my last chance. I had already had one marriage end after 14 years because of alcohol and drugs, but this time it was different. It was only me with the problem. In fact, after reflecting on my past, I realised it was always me who had the problem, and I just ended up bringing everyone else along for the ride. The main reason it was different this time was that my wife was practically t-total because of her past experience with her ex-husband.
Today, I feel like the luckiest man in the world to have such a strong person by my side. She stuck with me even when I didn’t want to be with myself, and she truly gives depth of meaning to the vows we both made on our wedding day: for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until parted by death. Now, I understand the amount of dedication and love that she must have for me to have put up with me and allowed me to stick around. It makes me strive every day to become a better person for her—more loving, more caring, and not just a good husband, but a best friend that is present and there for her.
Reflecting on this journey, I am filled with a profound sense of gratitude and humility. My wife’s unwavering support and unconditional love have been the pillars that held me up during my darkest times. Her strength and resilience taught me the true meaning of partnership and commitment. Each day, I am reminded of the last second chance I have been given, not just to remain sober but to rebuild and nurture the relationship I nearly destroyed. This awareness drives me to reciprocate the love and patience she has shown me. I am committed to being the partner she deserves, to sharing in her joys and easing her burdens. Our journey together has been a testament to the power of love and forgiveness, and I am eternally grateful for the opportunity to prove that I am worthy of her unwavering faith in me.
Gratitude and Redemption
Morning’s first light, a canvas for thoughts,
A daily ritual, heart laid bare.
Gratitude’s garden, where blessings sprout,
My wife, a perennial, ever there.
Unbelievable grace, her steadfast love,
Enduring storms, my reckless sea.
A final dawn, lost in a fog of despair,
Her voice, a lighthouse, setting me free.
A pattern emerges, a toxic tide,
I, the storm, others caught in the sway.
Yet, in her strength, a lifeline I spied,
A chance to rewrite life’s troubled play.
Hand in hand, we mend a shattered past,
Her faith in me, a humbling example.
With every sunrise, a promise amassed,
To be her anchor, her guiding star.
No longer adrift, in shadows deep,
Her love, the compass, steady and true.
With gratitude's harvest, my spirit I keep,
Forging a future, me and you.
