I finally had someone who believed in me, it was time for me to believe in myself. While at Grandview I learned the importance of staying busy and developing hobbies. I remember spending time making model cars; I think I may have been an overachiever on that front, as I completed many model cars while in treatment. I still wish there were more hours in the day to be able to do pursue my many newfound interests. Today, my free time is filled with taking care of my fish, running the trails, or thrift store shopping with my mom and wife. One of these days I’ll get back into building model cars again. Today, my life is much better. There have been some ups and downs, including family issues. I have learned how to deal with these problems sober, something I could never do before. Since I’ve been sober, my loving girlfriend has become my loving Wife. I landed a dream job purchasing tropical fish from around the world for people to enjoy in aquariums. And I was able to attend my son's high school graduation without fear that I would embarrass him. I have a simple way of maintaining my sobriety. I imagine two TVs on the wall. One has me coming through the front door after a morning run in the mountains, feeding my fish, and making breakfast for my family. All the things I love. The other TV shows me stumbling out of bed, crawling to the shower with a bottle of booze, hoping to make it through another day. If I hold my sobriety tight, surround myself with my sober support team and reach for help when I need it, I will never have to experience that way of life again. For now, I think about the future for me and my family. My mother lives in the apartment above ours, but I would love to find a beautiful home we could all live in together so I can give my mom the extra care she needs. My dream is to have us all together under one roof. My advice to those coming in to treatment is to stay connected and involved. Whether it be through attending AA meetings and working 12-Steps, enrolling into an outpatient program or moving to sober living - long term recovery requires a community of support. Sobriety is a one day at-time battle, and we need to stay connected to like-minded brothers that know the struggle. FUN TODD FACTS:
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