email from carly: “Last night I hosted a dinner party, and here’s how smartly sober it was. 🙂
1. It was for a group of colleagues and we were all signed up to chaperone the high school dance starting at 7:45. So there was a scheduled end and of course no drinking. Sweet! (Honestly, I wish there were a 7:30 end time on all dinner parties — this introvert needs wind down time!)
2. Drinking me would have gone all out — fanciest dishes and silverware, elaborate meal, way over stressed me who then demanded to get wasted at the end of the very taxing night. Sober me bought paper plates and plastic cutlery, served simple, easy food (literally the frozen leftovers of a yummy vegetable curry and some easy rice and store bought naan). One of the guests asked how she could help and I suggested she bring mocktails. She did and they were fabulous. Me accepting help? Whole new world.
3. I knew the night would be taxing (up til past midnight, which is not my usual), so I planned a quiet, calm weekend otherwise … I’m taking things easy today too, not doing much work and planning another early bedtime.
I’m tired and have a taxing week ahead with some stressful work events, so I’m using today to make my meals for the week and to plan out a schedule of tasks so I don’t get overwhelmed. Feeling wise. :p”

me: the best part of this is #2 🙂 do less. let people help. if that’s not the recipe for sobriety, I don’t know what is!

[she’s on day 344 today]

new s’élever painting

​s’élever is french for ‘to go up’ or to rise up. going up. pick yourself up. rise YOURSELF up. (i do like how the root of the word elevator is in here.)