I own it, I didn't, not proud that was me, and when I face it a little dignity, not looking for excuse me, I just want to be free from power weakness head on me.

Free, free, free, free, free, free.

Free, free.

Hi, everyone, and welcome to the bubble hour where real people tell real stories of addiction and recovery.

I'm your host, Jean McCarthy.

I write the blog Unpickled.

I've been journaling online, I guess in blog form, about sobriety since my very first, very shaky, very scary day without alcohol almost eight years ago in March of 2011.

I tell my story there, and I invite you to share your stories here.

And today we have a listener who is having a doubly good week.

She's celebrating her first year of sobriety and a special birthday this week.

Jill, welcome to the bubble hour.

Thank you, Jean.

I'm very excited to be here and happy to have these celebrations that I can share with you today.

Well, I always encourage people to do something to mark a milestone and something that's important to them.

And so I was really touched that you had written and said this was something you wanted to do to help mark your milestone.

I think that's really lovely and generous of you to do that.

Thank you.

You're very welcome.

And it's my pleasure.

And I'm grateful that I'm able to to celebrate in this

way for sure well let's start by just getting to know you tell us about yourself and about your

story okay well um just a little bit about myself um I had turned 55, actually, on Monday, although I say that in my head I'm 30, but I'm

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