Today is a day to celebrate Sarah

Today I want to write about my friend, my little sister, and this makes me laugh....in many ways my sister-wife. 

Today, Sarah enjoys knowing that for 14 yrs she has not had to drink or use any drugs. For a long time running now she has paved a life for herself that gives me pause to admire who for who she is in her world and the many people I know she inspires along the way.  For 14yrs she has proven what I talk about and believe to be true, recovery works and lives change.  Sarah also proves what I know to be true about a life in recovery and that is she supports her life in recovery that works for her and ensures she gets to continue to enjoy a life that is amazing and gives her a positive and forward thinking mindset always.  Sure, life is life, as it can be for everyone, but Sarah lives her life in a way that shows we can move forward without having to live in the past. 

Sarah and I have known each other for coming on 20 years. We met when were both in recovery, both of us having made the decision to turn our lives away from the chaos of drugs and alcohol, and, we both also made the decision to return to use at about the same time.  We have our unique history of this and many stories that we share of the six month period where her and I drank and used drugs together.  Even adding in my son along the way to mix into the chaos.  We have many stories we are able to tell that we can laugh about now and remember a period of our lives that we know we aren't going back to, but, having those shared experiences is what has always brought us close together. Those experiences, through the good times of life, the chaos filled periods, and this year, through our shared loss with Cheba leaving this earth just yesterday, are what solidify a few things I know about Sarah that I always want the world to know.

Sarah is loyal beyond measure. Just this week we were sitting in my driveway just days before Cheba's time to die. I was in that state of mind where I was angry. I was snapping at Sarah and I was just not in a good place. Knowing what was coming in a just a few short days was giving me that feeling we all have with an upcoming sad situations.  But sadness is not where I was.  What was Sarah's response in time?  It was what she is good at doing.  In her way, without telling me, was that she loved me and knew how I felt in that moment.  We just say for a while without either of us saying a word. While, and understandably so, other's might have said they would leave me alone in that space and time, she did not.  She stayed even after I snapped at her.  That's how it goes with Sarah and I in these type of scenarios over the course of our near 20 yr friendship.  She's always there, no matter what. I have seen this with her with not just me, with many others.  She's loyal beyond measure with those in her world.

Sarah is dedicated to self-care. I think it is going on a bout nine years now when she very first started running. Since that time she has been 100% dedicated to being the best at her craft.  She is part of lectures I give for people navigating a path to recovery from substance use disorders.  I tell her story as an example of what someone can do when they commit themselves to improvement.  Sarah has ran multiple marathons.....several. In recent years she completed a 50k!  Yeah, you read that right.  All of this from a person who didn't run around the block not so long ago.....now, her running 10 miles is pretty much a daily thing.  Recently myself, Sarah, and a mutual friend ran a 15k. John and I both had the same exact thoughts while running....that 15k was just a warm up for Sarah.  And heres the thing with that thought.....it is inspiring in powerful ways.  I do a little bit of running and Sarah, not even knowing it, is my guidepost on many mornings when I am getting ready to go for run.  Now, I haven't even talked about the many miles she has logged on her road bike, or, the multiple peaks she has summited on the west coast.  Or, the time she ran a marathon and climbed a mountain all in the same 24hr period. You will be hard pressed to find a more dedicated person.  This dedication bleeds into all areas of her life. As I walked through the last week with my dog Cheba Sarah didn't waver in her dedication to be there for me. 

Sarah helps people believe in themselves. I am always fascinated when I hang out at the stand and watch how she interacts with people. She can meet someone for the very first time, and in a five minute period, learn something about them and encourage them to go out and conquer the world. I am serious. It's crazy to watch happen. Literally, she will never have met someone, and I know, that person leaves feeling better about themselves based on a five minute conversation with someone they have never met before in their life. If you want to witness this in action just do this.  Go out to the stand on most mornings and watch the line form for people to get their coffee.  They will wait in a line five cars deep, to get their coffee from Sarah. I have always been in awe of her ability in this area.  Sarah has a way with people that gives them hope that they can achieve amazing things.

To close this up for this year, Sarah and I have the common bond of our dogs. Harper and Cheba were together their entire lives.  Harper, now 14.5, and Cheba, she was 13.5. Those two spent near their entire lives around each other.  To make my heart smile it has been nice over the last couple years to see Harper and Cheba become close. Many years ago Harper had went to close to Cheba's food bowl and Cheba believed that biting Harpers head off for it was a good idea.  From that time, until literally, just a couple years ago Harper kept his distance from Cheba.  Yet, in their senior years Harper let it all go and they were able to enjoy hikes on the ridge, and as they both struggled physically, shorter walks at the river or on the dike trail.  In Cheba's last weeks Harper came over and did the short walk from our house to the park....the two of them side by side, or with Harper leading the way telling his friend Cheba he's got the lead now, she can keep a slower pace. They were buds in the end.  On Cheba's last drive yesterday we stopped at the stand for our last goodbyes.  Harper and Cheba knew.....for the first time in forever, they touched muzzle to muzzle....pure love in that moment...pure love. 

Congrats to one of the most amazing humans I know on this earth.