The Day I Got Sober
Dear Son,
If I could take you back to one day in my life — not the happiest, not the easiest, but the one that changed everything — it would be December 15, 1993.
That’s the day I got sober.
But more than that… it’s the day I started over.
My rebirth.
I didn’t wake up that morning with a spiritual glow or a sudden sense of purpose.
I woke up like I had every other day — foggy, ashamed, full of fear.
But something small cracked inside me. Just enough space to hear a whisper I hadn’t heard in a long time:
“You don’t have to live like this anymore.”
It wasn’t loud. It wasn’t brave.
But it was honest.
I didn’t know how to live without drinking.
I just knew I couldn’t survive much longer with it.
So I did the only thing I could think of:
I asked for help.
I didn’t even know what help looked like.
I just knew I couldn’t figure this out alone.
That first day was ugly.
The shakes. The fear. The wave of regret that crashed in without the alcohol to block it out.
It felt like being scraped raw.
But it was also the first time in years I felt… alive.
Not great. Not fixed. But present.
And that mattered more than I can explain.
I didn’t have a plan. I didn’t have money. I didn’t have faith.
But I had today — and that was enough.
I got through that day.
Then the next one.
Then the next.
And I’ve been stacking those days ever since.
If you’re at rock bottom — or hovering just above it — here’s what I want you to know:
You don’t need a perfect plan.
You don’t need to know who you’ll become.
You just need to admit the truth:
This isn’t working.
And you’re willing to try something else.
That’s it.
That’s the crack where the light gets in.
If I had a son, I’d want him to hear this…
There is no shame in starting over.
Only strength in saying, “This ends with me.”
My rebirth began the moment I stopped pretending I was okay.
Yours can start whenever you’re ready.
📌 This letter was written by Fred Ferguson (GeezerWise). If it spoke to you, I’d love to hear back—just hit reply.
💭 Got a question, memory, or topic you'd like me to write a letter about? Hit reply and let me know—I won’t respond individually, but I may turn it into a future letter. Consider it a suggestion box for the soul.
💌 Know someone who’d appreciate this? Forward it or invite them to subscribe at www.geezerwise.com.
⚠️ If you see a message below about pledging support—that’s Substack’s way of letting readers chip in if they want. Totally optional but always appreciated if this work means something to you.
—Fred [GeezerWise]